Tranquility
by iceangelmkx
Summary: Nearly a year after the Reaper War, Shepard and Garrus find a new home that's located somewhere not-so-warm and tropical. Contains a series of stories of domestic life post-ME3.
1. Welcome Home

**Chapter One - Welcome Home**

The sun was high up in the bright blue sky as people within the boundaries of Toronto went about their day. What was once a beautiful city was now mostly rubble, save for a handful of buildings that managed to avoid the Reaper onslaught.

A building within the city, once a department store, currently served as a makeshift hospital since many of the original medical facilities were destroyed in the initial attack. Of course, that wasn't possible until after the Reapers fell, but once it was, the doctors, nurses, and volunteers who survived began their work.

Today, in the back of the building, a handful of people came out the sliding glass doors and began their approach towards a waiting skycar at the street curb. There were a few nurses and one doctor in uniform surrounding a patient in a wheelchair. It wasn't exactly standard to bring a patient to a car behind a building, but the last thing the group needed was to be hounded by new reporters and journalists, particularly at the person in the wheelchair. There was a good reason for all of this…

After eight months in the hospital, Commander Shepard, the savior of the galaxy, was finally being released.

If it was possible, Shepard would be doing a victory dance. Okay, so she was only awake from three out of the eight months she was in the hospital, but even so, the confinement had nearly driven her insane. Being brought outside, knowing that she was finally getting out of here, she realized that she could practically taste her freedom.

However, being in a wheelchair was preventing her from doing that victory dance due to two reasons. One, it was standard procedure for patients to be released from the hospital in a wheelchair. And the other reason, one that was more somber, was because of the bolts and rods in her hips and legs keeping her together. It was an old procedure the doctors had to resort to with the lack of resources, one that was necessary if it meant she could walk at all. That ability to walk, however, was very limited at this time. It was slow and it took a lot more effort than she was comfortable with, but at least she can do it, even for a very short time.

With that, Shepard was forced to go on medical leave from the military. She remembered how Admiral Hackett had mentioned the idea of her retirement some weeks ago, but she only laughed at the suggestion.

"I'll just take the medical leave for now," Shepard remembered saying to the older man when he came to visit her. "You never know, I could be up and running in no time."

The doctors soon reached the skycar, and Shepard smiled as they met up with a familiar turian, who was leaning against the vehicle with his arms folded in front of his chest. He was wearing his civilian clothes, something that almost surprised her because she was used to seeing him in armor. Still, he kept that glowing blue visor over his left eye.

'_I'm sure that will never change,_' she thought with amusement.

"Hey Garrus," she said once they were a few feet away.

Garrus stared at her with his steel blue eyes, his mandibles spreading out in a turian version of a grin. "Hey. Are you ready to go?"

Shepard nearly laughed. "Hell yeah! I've been waiting to leave this place ever since I woke up."

"I don't doubt that for a second."

Garrus reached for her hand. Without even thinking about it, Shepard took it with her own. Then, he gently pulled her up from the wheelchair before helping her get into the passenger seat of the skycar. Normally, she hated feeling helpless and would have tried to get into the vehicle herself. Even with the bolts and rods, getting into the car would not have been all that difficult.

However, considering that she was being released from the hospital today – and seeing the hint of happiness in Garrus' eyes – she decided to let it go just for today.

Soon, Shepard was settled in the car. Garrus closed the door before he made his way to the driver's side. She turned her head to the doctor and nurses and waved goodbye to them. They did the same before they began walking back towards the facility. Sure, she gave them hell about being confined here, but she also made sure to let them know how much she appreciated the care they gave her.

They also did an excellent job in keeping the reporters away. Only once did she give an interview. It was to help boost moral for the survivors and confirm her survival. The reporter who got lucky to land the interview was paid well by the Alliance. With that, she agreed on two things; do not ask personal questions, and do not reveal the hospital she was staying in. As far as Shepard knew, the reporter made good on that promise.

Soon, Garrus got in the car. He put on his seatbelt before starting up the vehicle. Once they were in the air and within traffic, there was a comfortable silence between them. Shepard took a moment to take Garrus's hand and brought it closer to her before resting them on her thigh. Their fingers laced despite her five digits against his three. She felt him squeeze her hand a little while controlling the vehicle with his free arm. Feeling content by the contact, she turned her head towards the window.

From the car, Shepard saw the damage from the war that still lingered amongst the rebuilding effort. It suddenly seemed so long ago since she found herself in the middle of the war fighting against the Reapers. It's almost hard to believe she was able to live through it in the end.

When they were out of Toronto and entered more open land, Shepard turned her head to Garrus. "So," she started to say. The edge of one corner of her lip curled up a little. "Are we going somewhere we're not supposed to?"

Garrus chuckled at that, thinking briefly on one of the better memories of the war. It was the time when he took her on top of the Presidium on the Citadel during one of their few shore leaves. "As tempting as it is, well… let's just say that it's a surprise."

That got a raised eyebrow from her. "Now you have me curious. Any possible hints I might get out of you?"

She noted another smile from him. "Not this time, only that it'll be a few hours before we get there."

Shepard leaned back against her chair. "I'll relax until then… not that I did enough of that at the hospital."

That got another chuckle out of the turian. "I'm surprised you didn't try to make a grand escape during your stay."

"Well… five out of eight of those months were in a coma, and I'm sure my legs wouldn't get me too far. Damn! I should have bribed you into calibrating the wheelchair to make it go faster."

"Suddenly, I'm curious to know how you would have bribed me."

It was almost a struggle to keep a straight face. "I have a few… ideas."

Garrus laughed. "I'm sure you do."

Another comfortable silence fell between them again, this time lasting longer than before. Their hands were still clasped together with one of them gently rubbing their thumb in small circles on the other's knuckles a few times. They only pulled apart whenever Garrus had to use both of his hands to drive.

It was a few hours and a couple of rest stops later before Garrus reached their destination. On the way, they drove through what looked like an old town that, surprisingly, looked barely touched by the Reapers. Of course, the machines were primarily focused on cities and suburban areas with a large population, so it should be no surprise that a small town like this one survived.

What also surprised Shepard was that she saw quite a few aliens walking on the streets, a good chunk of them being asari and turians. She saw some salarians and even a couple of quarians.

"Huh," Shepard said. "I assume some of the aliens decided to stay here."

Garrus nodded. "It was a while before they were able to get even a couple of mass relays up and going. While they waited, some of them settled in various places around Earth… just in case there was a chance that the relays never get fixed. This particular town I heard still had plenty of humans, but they welcomed the aliens with open arms when they had nowhere else to go. They even opened a market that sold imported dextro food once the relay to Palaven was fixed."

Shepard nodded. "Lucky you. And it sounds like you've been here before."

There was a brief pause before Garrus replied. "Well, I had to get my dextro supplies somewhere. A lot of what was sold in Toronto was mostly rations and nutrient paste. It was nice to get real food, even if it was imported and not as fresh as when it was in Palaven."

"Well, in that case, we'll have to take a trip to Palaven so you can enjoy fresh food. I'm sure your father and sister would love for us to visit soon."

"They would. Speaking of which, I spoke to my father this morning."

"Oh? What about?"

"Well, he was updating me about the recovery efforts on Palaven for the most part. He was happy to hear that you were getting out of the hospital today." A dry laugh came out of his throat. "Even now, I'm surprised he accepted… us."

"I imagine it would have been different back in the SR1 days," Shepard mentioned. "You did make it known back then that he hated Spectres."

"Still does," Garrus reminded her. "But he does respect you and all you've done for the galaxy. I'm sure that keeping my ass alive the whole time was also a plus."

"Let me guess… he said something along the lines of, 'if it had to be a human…'"

"Not in those exact words, but pretty much."

"And how is your sister?"

"Solana's fine, though I imagine she'll be marrying that soldier she met during the war soon enough. Hopefully, I'll get to meet him before then. I'd like to have the chance to decide whether or not I should kick his ass from one end of Palaven to the other."

Shepard had to smile despite that last sentence. Even though he was thousands of light years away from home, Garrus was being a protective brother. "She seemed infatuated with him the last time I spoke to her."

Garrus nodded in agreement. "Honestly, I'm glad she's happy. After caring for mom for so long, she… she deserves it."

Shepard squeezed his hand at the mention of his mother, who had died from Corpalis just a few months before the war. "We all deserve it. I just wish… all of us could…" She found that she couldn't finish her sentence.

Garrus's grip on her hand tightened as well. "I know."

Before Shepard realized it, the skycar had stopped moving. "Well, we're here," Garrus announced.

Shepard turned her head, noting the new surroundings. They had parked the car in a paved driveway in front of what looked like an old-fashioned cabin. She noted the few steps that lead up to the large patio in the front. She also noticed how green the land surrounding the home was due to the spring weather. The hills in the distances were full of trees, and there was even a lake behind the cabin.

She didn't notice that Garrus had left the driver's seat until he opened the door on her side. The young woman stared up at her turian, a bit astonished for a moment by her own lack of attention.

"It's a nice place to hide from the reporters," he mentioned. "It's also nice, quiet, and far from the cities." His mandibles flared a bit, and, noting how wide his eyes were, the human detected that he was a bit anxious.

"Well, it is isolated enough," Shepard admitted as she looked at the land again. She then shifted her eyes at him. "I'm going to take a guess and say that this is a rented vacation house for us to hide out for an undetermined amount of time."

The anxiousness she sensed that Garrus was feeling seemed to increase. He began to grasp his own hands in front of him and stretched his fingers. "Well," he started to say, his subvocals flanging a bit. "Um, it's actually… um… well… I know this place isn't exactly warm and tropical, but…"

He stopped when he noted a soft smile on Shepard's face as she figured out what he was trying to say. There were a few seconds of silence before she spoke. "So this was what you were doing when you weren't at the hospital or in Palaven."

Garrus seemed to relax a little, though he continued to grasp his hands. "Well, once I knew you were going to be on medical leave, I wanted to find a place that was… well, I found this place two months ago when I learned about the nearby town and how they helped those from off-planet. I also know that, even now, the reporters are trying to find you, and I… I thought this place would be well isolated enough to keep them away."

Shepard's grin became wider, finding his thoughtfulness endearing. "Are you sure you can deal with the weather in a few months? This part of Earth can get very cold and snowy in the winter season."

"Well, the guy that sold this place to me assured me it doesn't get bad like Noveria. He has a brother who lived there and said this place was like… what did he say… the Sahara? – compared to there."

Shepard shook her head in amusement. "I suppose we'll see when the time comes."

The young woman then attempted to get out of the car, but before she got her hand on the car door to begin pulling herself up, Garrus was already scooping her in his arms, gently lifting her out before closing the car door with his foot.

The turian was just about to walk towards the house when he noticed Shepard staring at him with a raised eyebrow. He practically saw her asking him, 'What are you doing?'

"Um," he started. "I saw this vid once, forgot the name of it, where this girl was carried like this when she and lover got their first home and-"

He stopped talking when Shepard started to chuckle. It left him unsure of what she was thinking for just a second before she wrapped both of her arms around his neck.

"You don't have to explain," Shepard assured him. She then leaned her face towards him before pressing her lips against his mouth plates. Garrus pressed into the kiss a bit, the best way he was able to return the human gesture before Shepard pulled back.

"Hey," Shepard suddenly said, her eyes widening as though she thought of something important. "Don't we have any furniture?"

Garrus began to walk towards their new home. "Well, just the important stuff for now, but we'll get more later."

"That's comforting… I hope."

It took a lot of effort on Garrus's part to unlock the front door without putting Shepard down, but he managed to get it done. Soon, they were over the threshold and into the living room. The wooden floor creaked a bit as Garrus walked through the room, soon bending his body a bit as he placed Shepard onto the large couch that sat in the middle of the area.

Once Shepard was on the couch, Garrus pulled back a bit, but kept his arms around her. She did the same around his neck. For what seemed like a while, the couple took in one another. Shepard noted the longing in his eyes and the way his mandibles slacked a bit from his face.

'_Something tells me that he doesn't believe this is all real.'_ The thought almost made her frown.

Shepard noticed that the turian took a deep breath before he leaned forward to brush his forehead against hers. It was an affectionate gesture they both shared since their first night together.

Shepard reached her hand up to touch his scarred mandible before speaking. "I'm a bit thirsty," she admitted. "I could go for some coffee."

Garrus pulled back before nodding. "Okay. I could go for some myself." He brushed his forehead to hers one more time before he got up and headed to the nearby kitchen.

Once alone, Shepard sighed as she took in her surroundings. The first thing that caught her attention was the vaulted ceiling above her. She can already imagine the echoes that would fill the room if she and Garrus got… loud. She then looked around the living room. There was only the couch she sat on and the black coffee table in front of her. She would have been happy just with that, but looking at the space, she knew that it was going to take more furniture to make the place feel full and more like home.

_Home_… now there's a word she never thought she would ever use to describe any place. Well, maybe except the Normandy.

Then there was the fire place. It was large enough that Shepard was sure a krogan could curl itself into a ball and fit in just fine. She was sure Garrus liked the fireplace. It looked as though it was definitely going to keep his turian hide warm when winter came.

Knowing that it was going to take some time for Garrus to make their coffee, Shepard decided to go and explore the rest of their new home. It took some effort to get up, but she was soon on her feet and began to slowly walk through the cabin.

Shepard had received physical therapy at the hospital to strengthen her legs and will continue to do so twice week. There was a bit of improvement during her stay, but walking still took effort. It was slow so that she didn't end up tripping, and she had to put her weight into every step, her upper body swaying a bit each time. She could last like this for a few minutes before she had to stop to rest. The doctors did suggest a cane, but the young woman declined, wanting to focus all she can to get her strength back in her legs.

She passed the kitchen that had an entrance wide enough for her to guess that it had a standard door at one time. From her viewpoint, it was a bit small with the traditional stove, refrigerator, sink, and a couple of counters. Near the entrance, she noted a small table that she was sure fit two people. The thought of her eating breakfast with Garrus every morning at that table gave her a bit of a warm feeling.

Shepard saw a hallway not too far and began walking towards it. She lifted her hand, dragging the tip of her fingers on the wall to guide herself. The first door was on the right hand side and, upon peering in, she noticed the bathroom. It was windowless and small, and it contained a shower and tub combo, a pedestal sink, and of course, the toilet that looked as old as the house itself, about two hundred years ago, she had to guess.

A bath did sound inviting, but Shepard decided to wait until tonight to do that. The young woman continued forward, reaching a door on her left, seeing a small bedroom. There was currently a double twin bed, and Shepard guessed that Garrus set it up for future guests. She was already imagining Tali setting her faceplate down (something that was soon possible for her people) on the nightstand as she got ready for bed, or Liara looking through one of the many datapads scattered around the room as she spends half the night working.

Another door on the left led to another bedroom that was slightly bigger than the other. It was completely empty save for the blinds that were covered by two windows, and she wondered what kind of furniture to buy for this room.

'_Maybe even find out what a turian-human baby looks like,_' Garrus's voice suddenly played in her mind. It was one of their last conversations when they were fighting in London, a time that, once again, felt so long ago…

Of course, they both knew biology wouldn't cooperate, though she was sure trying would be fun either way. She nearly laughed as she remembered him mentioning how there would be a few little krogans running around after the war. She admitted (only to herself) that raising a baby krogan would be cute… at least until they were big enough to start head-butting everything in sight.

Shepard soon pushed the baby thoughts out of her mind. Now was not the time of think of that…

There was one more door, and she already knew where it led to. She pushed it gently, revealing the master bedroom. She walked over to the king size bed with a black nightstand on each side, both containing a matching lamp.

On the nightstand she realized Garrus already claimed, there was a holo showing a photo of the two of them. Shepard remembered the picture. It was right after shore leave during the war, and they were just getting ready to get back onto the Normandy. Before entering the airlock, Tali stopped them, wanting to take a picture of the couple. They were both a bit reluctant at first, but soon gave in when Tali mentioned that they might not get another chance.

Shepard was glad for that decision, more for Garrus's sake than anything. She was sure that Tali have given him the picture when the Normandy was stranded all those months ago…

Shepard shook the memories out of her head again. It was something she and Garrus haven't talk about. She didn't want to imagine what he was thinking during those four months they were stranded while she laid in a coma at a hospital…

Soon, Shepard did notice two doors. One was definitely a closet, and the other she guessed led to a second bathroom. By then, her legs ached from her walk. Turning her head, she noted two chairs that faced the large windows overlooking the lake. Deciding to admire the view, Shepard took the last few steps before slowly sitting down.

The springtime tended to make nature pleasant. There were a few wildflowers blooming nearby, and a group of ducks hung out in and around the lake. She even noticed a small dock that could contain a sailboat if possible.

'_Huh… I don't think I ever thought of going sailing._'

Shepard then looked at the field close to the cabin. In her mind, she suddenly imagined a vegetable garden, make her snort in amusement. That thought was definitely laughable. On the Normandy, she needed a VI just to help her remember to feed her fish. She was sure if she even tried gardening, the vegetables would be dead in no time.

'_Well… maybe I could try grow some dextro stuff… then Garrus wouldn't have to eat all those imports-'_

"Shepard!"

Speaking of Garrus...

"I'm in the bedroom!" she called out.

Shepard heard his footsteps against the creaking wooden floorboard before appearing in the bedroom. "There you are," he said. "I had a feel you left to explore the cabin." He sat down next to her on the other chair before placing a mug filled with coffee onto the small table that sat between them.

"Thank you." Shepard grabbed the warm cup by the handle and took a small sip. It was too sweet for her taste, but it was a huge improvement from the coffee she had to endure in the hospital. That had tasted suspiciously like cardboard.

Garrus took a sip of his kava before speaking. "How do you like the place?"

"The view is nice," Shepard admitted. "Those trees on the hills… they'll change colors in the autumn season. There will be a lot of red, orange, brown, and yellow. It'll be really pretty."

"Hmm, I don't think I've ever seen trees change colors," Garrus admitted. "That'll be something to see. And you'll be happy to know that we have plenty of room for shooting contests when, you know, you want a rematch to gain back your title of Queen of the bottle shooters."

Shepard turned her head to him, raising an eyebrow at him while smirking. "I've told you for the past two months, I missed on purpose."

Garrus gave her a playful grin. "Uh huh. Still can't admit your pride was bruised that day, huh?"

Shepard shook her head, but was still smiling. "Guess I'll never convince you."

* * *

The sun set on the horizon hours later. After eating a take-out dinner from the only diner within twenty miles that served both levo and (imported) dextro meals, Garrus was relaxing on the king size bed wearing nothing but his sleeping pants. Leaning against the headboard, he kept himself occupied by the datapad in front of him containing information Primach Victus sent to him about the turian refugees on Earth. Victus gave him the small task in speaking with these refugees as soon as possible. He didn't want him to convince them to return to Palaven, but there was the question of why these turians chose to stay on a levo-based planet long after the war ended.

That was something Garrus wondered for the last few months. He knew his reasons for staying on Earth, but he was curious as to why the other turians decided to stick around. Have they felt settled enough that they saw no point in returning to Palaven by the time the relays were back up and running? Did they want to start over in a new place after losing so much?

His thoughts were soon cut off as he heard Shepard emerge from the master bathroom. Her hair was still wet from the bath she had taken, and Garrus couldn't help but stare as he noticed that she wore nothing but a towel around her nude form.

Putting the datapad down on the nightstand, Garrus reached a hand towards her. Shepard took it with her own and he guided her onto the bed until she settled herself against the headboard. As she did, Garrus looked down briefly at her right leg, noting the deep scars from her multiple surgeries. Shepard said it didn't hurt as much as it looked, but he sometimes wondered if she was just trying to convince him that she was fine.

"That bath felt nice," Shepard admitted. "And I was able to stay as long as I wanted this time. No more dealing with time limits."

As she spoke, Garrus leaned more onto her side of the bed, soon close enough to gently wrap his arms around her. In response, Shepard leaned into him, resting her head against his neck and raising one hand to grasp onto his forearm.

For a while, they sat like this hearing nothing more than the other's breathing and the occasional sound of nature outside of their new cabin. In her mind, Shepard thought back on a conversation she had with Liara when she and Garrus began their relationship. "I never thought I'd find peace in the arms of a turian," she had said back then…

She couldn't imagine what could be any more peaceful than this.

Then, Shepard broke the silence as she placed a kiss on the side of his neck. "I missed you…" she whispered.

Garrus nuzzled the top of her head with his plated cheek. "I've always been here. You know that."

Shepard shook her head. "No… I _missed_ you…"

It clicked in Garrus's mind as he realized what she was implying. He pulled away just enough to gaze into her eyes. Shepard immediately noticed the nervous look on his face, but there was also that hint of longing in his eyes, the same she saw earlier today.

"I… Shepard… I'm not sure if-"

She reached up to gently brush her fingers over the scarred side of his face. "I know you're worried, but I'm not made of glass. Besides, I want to take it slow… it's been too long."

Garrus took a deep breath. "If you're sure…"

It only took a nod from her and seeing the lust in her eyes to convince him. It was something he too wanted, and needed, for so long. Their last time was just before the push to Earth in the war. Has it really been that long? Soon, they were both moving further down onto the bed, their mouths pressed together in a deep kiss.

Their lovemaking was slow and careful as they traced familiar lines and scars both old and new. Neither of them forgot what the other liked even after months of longing for their other half. He was careful when he was on top of her as they became one. They gripped one another tightly with each wave, their voices echoing their need for each other in the quiet of their cabin. It didn't take long before she consummated with him following not too far behind.

Garrus was still on top of her as they both came down from their high. He put most of his weight in his arms as they rested on either side of Shepard, who had her arms around his neck. They took a minute to catch their breath, feeling small beads of sweat on their own skin.

Then, Garrus pulled back a little to look at Shepard. He noticed her eyes, tired but full of love… love for him.

His heart suddenly clenched as memories of the last eight months flooded in his mind. He had been injured during their run to the beam. The turian wanted nothing more than to finish the fight at Shepard's side, but no matter how stubborn he tried to be, he knew that she would see to it that he was safe.

In all honesty, he would have done the same thing in her place.

After they said goodbye and after she ran back towards the beam, Garrus was so sure in that moment that she was going to die. The thought alone nearly tore him apart. Despite that, he attempted to remain strong… for her sake and for the sake of their friends.

Then, there were those weeks of not knowing what had happened while he and the rest of the Normandy crew made repairs on the ship that was damaged from the Crucible's blast. When they received news of Shepard being MIA once they got communications back up, too much time had passed…

He still remembered the weight of the plaque containing Shepard's name in his hands. It was meant to join with the other names on the memorial wall, but something inside him told him not to put it up, not until he was sure that Shepard was truly gone.

The Normandy had been repaired enough to return to Earth after four months. Upon their arrival, they met with Admiral Hackett, who gave them the news that Shepard was alive. However, she was in a coma and no one was sure when she would wake up, if she ever did.

Garrus would spend the next month by her bedside keeping a vigil. He had actually been away seeing his father and sister over at the turian camp in Toronto when she finally woke up. The turian practically sprinted to the hospital when he received the news. When back at her side, he said her name, her first name, and she responded by opening her eyes. She was still groggy from the drugs and wasn't able to talk due to the equipment helping her breathe, but to see those eyes again made him believe that everything will be all right.

He was by her side for the most part in her recovery. Garrus only left when he had to take care of things on Palaven a couple of times and also to set up their new home. The decision to buy the cabin had been hasty, and he had been a bit nervous about it, but other than that, he didn't regret the purchase one bit.

Now they were here in each other's arms in their new home. Shepard still had a long way to go in her recovery, but what mattered most was that she was alive. She was alive and safe in his arms.

Shepard looked concerned as she noticed the far-away look in his eyes. She reached up to caress his face. "Garrus." she whispered.

Hearing his name on her lips somehow made his throat tighten. Closing his eyes, he leaned into her before burying his face in the spot between her neck and shoulder. A few seconds later, Shepard frowned as his shoulders shook a bit just before a soft, brief keen escaped him. She could tell he was barely holding it back.

Hearing that sound made Shepard realize what he had been thinking about. She pressed her face into the side of his head and tightened her arms around him. "Please, don't cry," she whispered near his ear canal. "I'm here now. It's all right."

He took a deep breath before speaking in a hoarse voice. "I almost lost you…"

Gently, Shepard shifted them both with her arms until they were both lying on their sides facing each other. She pulled back a little so that she could regard him, cupping his head with both of her hands. The young woman noted that his mandibles were pinched tight against his face, his eyes shut tight.

"We have a future now. My recovery will be a long one, but that's a challenge I'll take over the Reapers any day. We… can't let the past keep a tight grip on us." She nearly laughed at her own words. "I wish I took that advice during the war…"

Another deep sigh escaped him before Garrus opened his eyes to look at her. He lifted a hand to cup her chin between his thumb and index finger. "You're right. I'm sure it'll… take time for us to adjust to this new life, considering we've spent most of our lives fighting. The physical injuries and the PSTD will be there… but we can do this together, I'm sure of that."

Shepard smiled. "Don't ever forget, there's no Shepard without Vakarian."

Garrus brought her closer to him, tucking her head underneath his chin. "Never."

Throughout the night in each other's arms, Shepard and Garrus felt true peace for the first time since either of them could remember.

* * *

**A/N: As this is my first Mass Effect story, constructive feedback is welcomed.**


	2. A Cold Night

**A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews, favorites, and follows, they are all appreciated. Also, errors spotted in the previous chapter are now fixed.**

* * *

**Chapter Two – A Cold Night**

In the darkness of his bedroom, Garrus took a sharp inhale as a nightmare shook him from his sleep. His eyes snapped opened with his mind still filled with the images he had seen.

Garrus shook his head quickly as he tried to get rid of the thoughts. The turian let his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room, his ears filled with the pounding rhythm of his heartbeat. He was also beginning to catch his breath as well.

The vision of his nightmares came back to his head; _his hand reached out to Shepard as she started to run for the beam, the horrifying sight of Harbinger just behind it. As the Normandy began to fly away from the chaotic scene, more red beams were shot from Harbinger, obliterating anything in its path. Garrus tried to call out her name, but nothing came out of his mouth. He was starting to yell out again when, suddenly, a beam struck Shepard. Garrus could only watch in horror as the beam engulfed his lover, her body quickly disintegrating into nothing but ash…_

Garrus shook the thoughts away again. His head clear, the turian noted that both his breathing and heart rate were steady. The sudden silence was comforting for once.

While taking a deep breath, he felt the bed slightly shift on his left. Garrus turned his head and saw Shepard's sleeping form. She was lying on her back with her right hand resting over her stomach. Although her head was turned away from his, he could still see that her face was in a relaxed state.

He was grateful for it… it meant that there were no nightmares for her tonight, at least so far. She had one last night, her screams waking him out of his own slumber. As they had done on the Normandy during the war, he held her in his arms as she tried to calm herself down. No words were exchanged between them and his hand had brushed in a slow, up and down motion on her back. He didn't stop until she was asleep again.

They both knew that these night terrors would occur long before they even met. Being career soldiers for years, post-traumatic stress disorder was inevitable. Naturally, the nightmares became more frequent for the both of them after the reaper war.

After a couple of minutes, Garrus reached a hand to brush a strand of hair from her cheek before tucking it behind her ear. He then leaned down to gently press a kiss to her temple in the best way a turian could with his mouthplates.

Pulling away, Garrus went to lie back down in hopes of getting more rest. However, the images of his nightmare returned to him, and he tried in vain to rid of them by thinking happier thoughts. After a few minutes, however, he realized that it wasn't working.

Giving up on getting more sleep for now, Garrus got himself up. Upon moving his blanket, the cold air hit the bare skin of his arms and torso. Shepard did warn him that this part of Earth got cold during the night. "At least it won't snow for quite a while," he remembered her assuring him just the other day.

The two had done a little shopping yesterday to get a few things for their cabin. One of the things that Shepard bought for him was a night robe tailored for turians. Of course, it was imported straight from Palaven and sold in the only clothing shop in town that catered to multiple species. Most of the other clothes weren't really to his taste, and he was sure that he was eventually going to order them to be shipped to his home from Palaven (he was already waiting on a shipment of dextro beer). At least the robe was nice. It was mostly black with thin, gold trims around the edge of the flaps and cuffs. The material was also thick enough to withstand the sharp, hard edges of his plates.

The robe was hanging over a chair in the room. He reached for it and then placed it around him before tying the rope around his slim waist in a knot. From there, he quietly left the room, making sure his footsteps were not heavy since he didn't want to accidentally wake Shepard up.

Garrus made his way to the kitchen to get himself a glass of water. On his way, he realized that it was only more than three days ago since he brought Shepard here from the hospital. That night was… eventful, though Shepard was in some pain the next day mainly because the meds she was on in the hospital were wearing out. He felt bad about it, but Shepard assured him it was fine. He felt a little better after she said, "After waiting for so long, the pain is damn worth it."

Shepard felt better for the most part the next day, but she wanted to move around a bit despite being told to rest up. That was when they went shopping for food, some clothes (mostly for her), and a few small stuff including items to decorate their new home with. They did plan to go window shopping for furniture, but her legs were aching by then despite resting multiple times, so it was best to go home.

Garrus briefly thought back on the apartment that Shepard had at the Citadel. He thought that would be a good place to retire, but as far as either of them knew, it was nothing more than rubble now like most of the other Citadel wards after the Crucible's blast. It was a shame because Shepard only had the place for such a short time. Currently, workers and volunteers were working on cleaning up the station before moving on to the actual rebuilding process. The guess was that it would be quite a few years before the Citadel would be functional again.

After drinking the glass of water, Garrus decided to return to the bedroom. Instead of lying back down, however, he went over to one of the two chairs that faced the window overlooking the lake beyond the backyard. Luna's gentle light shimmered over the lake creating twinkling glows with each wave like the distant stars above in the cloudless night sky.

The sight was peaceful. However, Garrus' thoughts were far from it. The images of his nightmares were gone now, but he was soon hit with a flashback of the actual beam run in London…

* * *

_A hot, searing pain hit Garrus as the Mako exploded upon crashing down. He had already dived to the ground moments ago to avoid it, but there was still not enough distance. He can only hope that Tali got luckier than he did._

_He tried to get himself up despite the pain, but Garrus found, to his frustration, that he was struggling to do so. Before he realized it, Shepard was by his side, helping him to his feet with Tali behind them. He was dragged over to another fallen Mako before the three of them sat by it for coverage. Garrus noted the look of concern etched on Shepard's face, and he nodded to let her know that he was okay._

"_Normandy, do you copy?" Shepard said, her voice hinting desperation. Her volume went a bit higher at her next words. "I need and evac right now!"_

_For a moment, Garrus was confused. Throughout the whole run to the Citadel beam, Admiral Anderson and the others had made it clear that this was most likely a one-way trip they couldn't fall back from. _

_However, looking at their surroundings now, Garrus can only guess that Shepard saw how this plan was being sent straight to hell. Harbinger's beams continued to slaughter those around them. He could hear more vehicles exploding and the screams of those being shot down. He had even seen some of the soldiers turned to nothing more than ash._

_The familiar sounds of the Normandy's engines were soon heard as it approached the chaos. Garrus could only hope that Harbinger didn't shoot at them or the Normandy while the three of them evacuated._

"_Come on!" Shepard called out as she hauled Garrus back on to his feet. He gritted his teeth as more pain hit him, but he forced himself to ignore it. With Tali just behind them, they made a run for it._

_The cargo bay doors opened for them with some of the soldiers coming out to shoot at any of the reaper forces that attempted to come near them. Tali went up the ramp first, but didn't go too far before turning to Garrus and Shepard._

"_Here," Shepard said. "Take him." He didn't comprehend what was happening until he felt her arms leaving him as he was passed over to their quarian friend._

"_Shepard…" he managed to breathe out as Tali got a hold of him._

"_You gotta get out of here," she said._

"_And you gotta be kidding me!" he said, nearly spitting his words out bitterly._

_Shepard frowned as her voice lowered. "Don't argue, Garrus."_

_Garrus started to feel Tali pull him back a bit, but he retaliated by pulling towards Shepard. "We're in this until the end," he called out, almost pleading._

_Garrus stopped struggling upon looking at Shepard's eyes, noting that they glistened with tears. He could tell that she was trying to hold them back by the way her eyebrows arched down._

_She wasn't coming back from this. He had a feeling that this was what she was thinking…_

"_No matter what happens here," Shepard began, her words cracking under emotions barely held back. She took a few steps forward up the ramp towards him, whispering her next words so that only he can hear. Within reach, she placed her hand on the side of his face containing his scars. "You know I love you. I always will."_

_There was so much that he wanted to say then. He tried to quickly figure out a way to get her to come back onto the ship with him. He wanted to be sure that he wouldn't lose her._

_In the end, Garrus knew that it couldn't happen no matter how much he screamed and pleaded. He knew that this was what she had to do. This was a battle three years in the making, and Shepard had to see to it that this would be finished once and for all. She had to make sure that what remained of the galaxy was saved, even if meant that it would become empty without her in what remained of his life._

"_Shepard… I…" he tried to say through the lump in his throat. He tilted his head to lean into her touch, his free hand grabbing hold of her wrist. The touch was simple, but he savored it, committing it to his memory as he stared in her beautiful eyes, mesmerized one more time by its brilliant color._

_He managed to get out the words he knew meant so much to her. "Love you too…" A ghost of a smile came over Shepard's lips as she pulled away. Garrus held on to her wrist until she was far enough out of reach. Even then, he continued to hold out his arm towards her as though he was willing her to change her mind and come back with him._

_Shepard's smile faded as she briefly looked back at the chaos behind her. Just as quickly, she turned back him and Tali. "GO!" she commanded._

_Garrus clenched his outstretched hand before his arm fell back to his side. He watched Shepard go until he felt Tali urge him to back onto the ship. With reluctance, he let her help him back inside._

_As he heard the cargo bay doors close and the engines prepping to return to space, the weight of the possibility of losing Shepard suddenly became too much. He collapsed onto his knees, his heavy frame taking the quarian helping him down with him._

"_Garrus!" Tali called out with both concern and frustration. "Come on, we have to get to the med bay."_

_His mandibles fluttered against his face, and he bowed his head with his eyes shut tight. "She's going to die…" he breathed, his voice hoarse in pain._

"_Please, Garrus," Tali begged quietly. "You need medical attention. She wouldn't… she wouldn't…"_

_That was when he felt Tali shaking. It wasn't the kind of shaking that came from being upset. Opening his eyes, he turned to her and noticed the damage her suit had taken from the explosion. There was a good chance that there was a rupture somewhere._

_Garrus nearly gasped in horror, feeling like an idiot. Here he was nearly on the edge of being torn apart by his own emotions. Meanwhile, one of his closest friends was most likely starting to develop a fever or an infection that may or may not kill her._

"_I'm sorry, Tali," Garrus quietly said, feeling the heavy weight of his guilt on his shoulders. Slowly, they helped each other back on their feet before heading to the elevator to take them to the crew deck. "I'm so sorry…"_

_Tali nodded, tears streaking down her face behind her mask. "Don't be."_

_Garrus closed his eyes again as he shook his head. "She wouldn't want me to fall apart..."_

_Tali nodded in agreement. "No… she wouldn't."_

* * *

Garrus couldn't remember much of what happened after he and Tali got into the elevator. All he knew was that, when he woke up in the medbay hours later, the Normandy had landed on an unknown planet, EDI was offline, Tali had lost consciousness from a fever and infection, and all communications channels were nothing but static.

Worst of all, there was the one lingering question… what happened to Shepard?

The Normandy crew stayed within the confines of the ship for a couple of days until they were sure that the unknown planet they were on contained breathable air. Once it was confirmed, Garrus and Joker were the first two to exit the ship.

It was strange to Garrus the first time he saw that planet. After seeing so much devastation from the war, it was almost blinding to see a place untouched by the Reapers. It spoke of the tranquility of life, one that he knew Shepard hoped to seek after the war.

"I think my days of saving the galaxy are over when this is done," she had said to him the night before London.

While continuing to look over the unknown planet, Garrus realized how this was not right for Shepard. She had busted her ass for the last few years trying to fight against the Reapers. If she… didn't make it… was her sacrifice her 'reward' for working harder than anyone to make sure that there would be peace once more?

Yes, life can be unfair, but there was a difference in life between unfair and injustice… this was definitely the latter. Garrus imagined that most on the outside would consider her sacrifice an honor. Then again, no one knew her as well as those closest to her, especially those who served under her on the Normandy.

Especially him.

All Shepard wanted in the end was a life away from conflict and constant fighting, to know what peace felt like. Sure, there were those who say that she was a soldier who could never retire, who would itch for some action within a week. Truthfully, how would they, or even Shepard, know until she actually tried it? And no, those six months of her being on lock-up didn't count. The Alliance didn't exactly let her do much to begin with. Even a citizen under that kind of lock-up would go stir crazy after a few days.

After stepping outside the Normandy, Garrus didn't go out as much. The primary focus was to fix the outer damage the ship had taken in the crash, followed by getting systems back online.

The loss of EDI was hard on the crew, especially Joker who wept without shame when her shutdown was realized. She may have been an AI, but she was treated as a member of the crew like everyone else. Traynor, Adams, and the other engineers were doing all they can to get her back online. In the meantime, her mobile platform was lying within the AI core.

Garrus spent most of his time in the main battery. The Thanix cannon took some damage in the crash, so there were plenty of calibrations to be done to get it back to normal… well, at least to Garrus' satisfaction. He would work himself to exhaustion so that when his laid himself down on the cot in the main battery, he would fall asleep almost instantly. It helped with keeping his mind off of… things.

Garrus should have known that his allies would be worried about him. At most, three of them would come into the battery during the day to check on him, mainly Liara, Kaidan, and Tali once she recovered. Garrus knew that they meant well, but there were times he just wanted them to just go away and to leave him alone.

It was two in-a-half months after the crash when they finally got communications back up thanks to Traynor's hard work. By then, everyone on the ship was going stir crazy with all the waiting and small improvement. The outer hull of the ship was repaired at least, but there were still much to do within the Normandy before they could safely take flight.

By that time, the engineers managed to recover some data from the AI core. As Adams mentioned to the crew, it was definitely an improvement from the beginning, but he felt that there may still be a long way to go.

"Perhaps once we are back on Earth, we may have more access to resources that may help us in the recovery effect," Adams had explained that same day. Still, he warned that even if they recovered most of EDI's data, there was a chance that she may not be as she was before. Even with that in mind, it still gave everyone hope, especially Joker.

Once communications were up, they connected to the Alliance, and the person who retrieved the signal immediately transferred them to Admiral Hackett. By then, everyone on the ship had reported to the CIC to hear what was going on.

The first thing Hackett said was that the Reapers were indeed destroyed by the red wave from the Crucible. This earned some cheers from some of the crew since no one was sure what became of the machines. He did note that the mass relays all around the galaxy were also caught in the blast, but were currently being repaired. In the meantime, all ships would have to rely on FTL drives.

Hackett also explained that, with the exception of their software uploaded within the quarians' suits, the geth were wiped out from the blast. There was a theory that the reaper code that was uploaded within the geth network may have something to do with it.

With her own Reaper-based technology, it would explain why EDI became non-functional.

Hackett then went on to report the death of Admiral David Anderson as well as The Illusive Man. Both of their bodies were recovered near the blast's epicenter about a week after the Reapers were destroyed. Anderson's funeral had taken place weeks ago, but they plan another memorial service at a later date.

Then, Hackett became more solemn as he knew that the next set of news was one that he was sure everyone on the Normandy waited for. Until recently, Commander Shepard was declared MIA. However, with so much time passing by that point, the Alliance realized that there was a small chance that she would be found dead or alive. They had changed her status to KIA.

When the communication with Hackett ended, all was deathly quiet in the room with the exception of a few muffled sobs coming from some of the crew members. As for Garrus himself, he only stood where he was for a few moments before he abruptly turned away and returned to the main battery.

If he wasn't withdrawn before their contact with Hackett, he was from that moment. Naturally, his friends tried to console him, but to no avail.

"If you want to comfort anyone, comfort Joker," Garrus said at one point to Liara. The poor guy definitely needed it for sure with the way he carried himself, at least from the few times he's seen the pilot.

The next month went by in almost a crawl. By then, everyone was starting to get irritable and there wasn't a day that went by without someone getting into an argument. Garrus managed to get into two of those fights. One was to stand up for Joker when Javik attempted to suggest that the pilot should 'not grieve over a mere synthetic.' Sure, everyone knew that Javik didn't exactly have a love affair with synthetics, but even Garrus thought that was crossing the line. He was sure that Joker would have broken his knuckles beating the daylights out of the Prothean had Garrus not intervene. Javik attempted to justify his words before Tali broke up the fight.

The second fight was with Kaidan. Because of Kaidan's rank, he was automatically made captain of the Normandy. The second human spectre had made it clear that though he would do his best to lead, he could never replace Shepard. She was the true leader, even in spirit. For as long as they've known each other, Garrus and Kaidan had always respected each other as soldiers and comrades. On more quiet nights when they ran into each other in the mess hall during the war, the two would share their own stories (but not like the pissing contests Garrus would have with Vega) over beer. One night, Kaidan even inquired about dextro recipes. "Looking to impress a turian lady?" Garrus asked jokingly. Kaidan had chuckled at that, but it turned out that he was curious what turian males considered 'the food of their people' since 'beer, bacon, and beef' were known to be the food of human males (the answer was danorian beer, slanina, and karne).

However, during one of the rare times Garrus was in the mess hall to retrieve some water and dextro nutrient paste, Kaidan had been speaking with Liara about the idea of making additional plaques for the memorial wall for EDI, Anderson, and Shepard. Upon hearing Shepard's name, Garrus came over to the table and asked Kaidan to repeat what he just said to Liara.

Only later did Garrus realize that perhaps he was being a bit irrational about it. Perhaps that was the moment it dawned on him that he was going to be spending the remainder of his life without Shepard. The idea of her name going up on that wall seemed so final and… it was a step that Garrus wasn't ready for.

Garrus suggested that they should wait until they were at least back on Earth before they did that. Kaidan, however, felt that putting those names up would bring closure to everyone on the ship.

"Maybe… except for me," Garrus ended up saying. He wanted to make sure that Shepard truly was gone before he took that step.

For his benefit, Kaidan was just as upset as everyone else about their fallen friends, but he was also trying to be realistic about Shepard's fate. He didn't believe that Shepard would be found alive at this point. The sooner her name was placed up, the easier it would be to move on.

Garrus argued against it, his voice rising with every sentence. "We should wait until we know for sure," he said. Kaidan reminded him that the Alliance themselves confirmed her death despite not finding a body.

"The Alliance doesn't know shit!" Garrus had yelled out. "The last time she was declared dead by them, it turned out that she was on a slab being rebuilt by Cerberus!"

"And we both know that Cerberus won't be doing that again!" Kaidan retorted.

By then, Liara tried to intervene, telling them to stop with their argument. Her form even started to flare up with her biotics just in case the two of them began a fist fight. Even with that warning, neither of them listened to her.

It was a question from Garrus that finally ended the argument. "If you still had her heart as you did three years ago, would you still feel the same, or would you feel the way I do?"

That earned a long moment of silence from Kaidan as he stared up at Garrus. Then, Kaidan's shoulders slouched as he let out a long exhale. He stared down at the ground, his eyebrows arched down in an attempt to keep the tears in his eyes at bay.

"I don't know," Kaidan finally said with a voice hoarse and quiet. "I honestly don't know…"

Garrus immediately returned to the main battery after that. He wasn't surprised when Liara followed. She tried to explain Kaidan's point of view in her own way. "He only means well and is doing what he thinks is best for the crew. It may not be closure for you, but… perhaps it could be way to mend even a little bit of the pain."

Finally, Garrus simply said, "I'll think about it." In all honestly, he only said it so that Liara could leave him alone. She left soon after.

Since that day, Garrus only came out of the battery when absolutely necessary, even taking a few rations into the room. The less he was around the others, the better it was.

Then came the announcement everyone was waiting for… the Normandy was finally fit for flight. Scans indicated that they were only five systems away from Earth and that it would take about a week on FTL to reach it.

The night before take-off, Liara entered the battery. She quietly mentioned that the plaques were made for the memorial, Shepard's included. The asari had made it clear that Shepard's name would not be placed up unless it was by Garrus. For a moment, Garrus had in mind to take that plaque and throw it out the airlock. Then, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Shepard would not want him to be holed up here and continue to deny that she was gone.

If this was the closest to a memorial that she would get, he was sure that Shepard would want him to be there. So finally, he said he would do it. This earned a sad smile from Liara.

The next morning, the crew gathered in front of the memorial wall. No one had said anything to each other or even moved until Joker stepped forward with the plaque containing EDI's name in his hands. He said a few brief words about her before placing her name up. He then backed away, his head bowed so that the brim of his hat covered his eyes.

Kaidan went next. He held the plaque containing Anderson's name. Just as Joker did, he said a few words about Anderson before placing his name up on the wall.

Garrus knew he was next even as he stared down at the plaque containing Shepard's name. It seemed simple enough… step forward, say a few words, and place her name up.

He did take those few steps forward, but it all he can do. The words he wanted to say ended up being stuck in his throat. He stared down at her name again, brushing his hand over it a couple of times. As he gazed up at the wall once more, something inside of Garrus told him not to put the plaque up. He kept telling himself it was for the best, but the little voice telling him otherwise couldn't seem to go away.

Finally, he turned. "I can't…" he uttered before dashing for the main battery. He made sure to lock the door behind him.

Later that night, when the Normandy was in flight and he was sure that everyone had retired for the night, Garrus made his way out of the battery. He had meant to go up to the CIC to see the stars from the bridge. Instead, he found himself pressing the button in the elevator that would lead him to the Captain's quarters.

The room was as he remembered it, and it looked to be untouched since Shepard was last here. The aquarium VI continued to feed the fish in the tank to his left, and at least one person was feeding her hamster (he guessed it was Tali… she loved that little guy).

Garrus had walked slowly through the room until he sat himself on the large bed, specially his side of the bed. That was when he noticed a new object on the nightstand. Upon reaching for it, it lit up with a picture of himself and Shepard standing in front to the docking bay doors leading to the Normandy. It was one he remembered Tali taking after shore leave.

He realized two things in that moment. One, it was taken on the day Shepard confessed her love for him on top of the Presidium. And two, aside from a few group photos, this was the only holo of the two of them.

That night in the room he had shared with her, Garrus let himself grieve.

As predicted, the Normandy took a week to return to Earth, soon arriving at the docking port in London. Not even an hour after landing, Garrus receive a vid-call from Miranda Lawson. Apparently, news of the Normandy's return spread fast. She convinced the turian to find a private a room, and when he did, Miranda informed him of news that he did not expect to hear.

Commander Shepard was alive.

It was a long story that Miranda to try to condense as much as possible. Three days after the Crucible's blast, volunteers went up to what was left of the Citadel to help search for survivors in any place that was still breathable. This included Jack and her biotic students from Grissom Academy. Another three days later, Jack and her students found a battered, burned, but living female body within the rubble.

The female was wearing burned armor that was broken, cracked, and parts of it melted into her skin. One part that broke off revealed a pair of blue wings on her right shoulder blade, the skin there partially burned. Jack immediately knew that it was Shepard. After all, _she_ was the one who inked her with that design on their last shore leave.

However, even with that proof, it couldn't be confirmed. The tattoo was so recent that there wasn't time to add it to the list of distinguished markings into Shepard's military record. Until there was other proof, the female would be identified as 'unknown.'

Not surprisingly, Jack was pissed. She couldn't be where Shepard was all the time, but when she did, the biotic did all she could to convince the Alliance that the 'unknown' was in fact Shepard. Her attitude only got her banned from the hospital after her third visit.

Finally, Jack contacted Miranda in hopes of confirming her cybernetic implants as a way to identify Shepard. Garrus was sure that Jack was thinking, 'that's something I'd thought I never do.' Miranda tried getting to the commander as soon as she could.

It was only two weeks ago when Miranda arrived at the Toronto hospital Jack said Shepard was staying in. Her assistance with the Alliance, her former association with Shepard, and her records of the Lazarus project gained her access to the room where she was being treated.

All it took was a five minute scan and matching Shepard's cybernetics with old Ceberus records for Hackett and the Alliance to finally be convinced. That same day, Miranda learned that the Normandy crew would return to Earth within two weeks. She had wanted to deliver the news right away, but the Alliance suggested on waiting until they were back on Earth. This way, they could focus on getting back home.

So of course, as soon as Miranda got word of the Normandy's return, the first thing she did was contact Garrus. To say that he was stunned by the news would be an understatement.

As soon as the rest of the crew got the news, Vega immediately suggested that they all take the shuttle to Toronto to visit their commander. There was a lot that had to be done, but everyone agreed that seeing Shepard alive, despite being in a coma, would not only help with morale, but to know that there is hope.

Cortez has taken the wheel with Joker sitting up front with him. Everyone else; Garrus, Kaidan, Liara, Tali, Vega, Traynor, and Dr. Chakwas, all crammed into the back of the shuttle (Javik had since departed from the group for unknown reasons. Garrus would later learn from Shepard that the Prothean had left to rejoin his fallen comrades). The ride was mostly quiet, but there were a few times where Joker poked fun at Cortez's driving. That got a smile from some of the others, even Garrus. Most likely, Joker wouldn't have the humor he once had, but it felt good to know that at least some part of the old Joker remained. Later, Liara would guess that learning of Shepard's survival gave Joker the hope he needed to keep going.

Garrus spent most of the ride in silence. He can only hope that things would get better from here. When Shepard wakes up from her coma, there would be so much to say…

* * *

"Garrus?"

A soft voice stirred Garrus from his thoughts. He blinked a few times before he found himself back in the darkness of his new cabin. He was still sitting down in front of the bedroom window looking out at the lake and stars. The turian hadn't notice Shepard getting out of bed, not until she sat herself down on the left arm of the chair and whispered his name.

He turned to see her. Shepard only wore a sports bra and shorts, which she mentioned was easier to sleep in for right now. The moon's soft light glistened the lines of her fresh scars. Most would never completely heal, but some would fade in time. Still, she was beautiful to him.

"Hey," Garrus finally whispered.

Shepard began to gently stroke the top of his fringe with her fingers. "I called you name a couple of times from the bed, you know."

Garrus blinked at that. The chair he sat on was only a few feet from the foot of the bed. His thoughts must have brought him far away from reality. "Did you?"

She slowly nodded. "I assume you had a lot on your mind."

Without thinking about it, Garrus gradually rested his head on her bare stomach and relished the soft feel of her skin against his cheek. "_Too_ much on my mind if you ask me."

Shepard continued her gentle strokes on his fringe. "I guess we're both still feeling the effects of the war."

Garrus took a deep breath. "Have you been sleeping well tonight?"

"I was up until a couple of minutes ago. I had a dream that shook me, but not enough to make me scream out like last night."

Garrus nodded. "Same here," he admitted.

Shepard sighed. "PSTD's a bitch. But… we both knew that going into the military, huh?"

"Yeah. Just…" he buried his face a little more into her, but was careful not to hurt her. "Promise me that if it gets worse, you'll get help. I don't want this to swallow you."

Shepard leaned down to place a kiss on top of his head. "As long as you keep the same promise, then I will." She stopped stroking his fringe and let her hand caress the side of his face. "Come back to bed. It's pretty chilly tonight, and I imagine that you're turian hide is cold."

Garrus had to smile. "Not as cold as it was on Noveria."

That earned a soft chuckle from Shepard. She encouraged him to get up from the chair and the two returned to their bed. Garrus took the large blanket they shared and covered each other with it. Her back leaned into his chest and he placed an arm around her waist, his hand resting on her bare stomach. Shepard took a deep, contented breath as she felt Garrus bury his face at the junction between her shoulder and neck.

As sleep slowly took over, Garrus knew that the negative images and nightmares would continue to come, perhaps for years to come. Still, he took comfort in knowing that, despite everything, he is grateful for the chance to be able to hold the love of his life in his arms.

* * *

**A/N: I wanted to add more about Shepard's stay at the hospital, but this chapter was nearing twenty pages, so I decided to wrap it up. I'll make mention of it in a future chapter.**

**I also decided to make this a series of stories. They'll be written chronologically.**

**Next chapter: Shepard and Garrus welcome familiar visitors.**


	3. The Pilot & the AI

**A/N: This chapter contains mild spoilers for the Citadel DLC.**

* * *

**Chapter Three – The Pilot and the AI**

One of the mysteries of the Crucible activation at the end of Reaper War that most people wondered about had been this… what happened exactly? The red energy released was designed to destroy anything with Reaper technology. The geth were mostly wiped out due to their upgrades (with only the software downloaded into some of the suits of the quarians surviving). Cerberus had added reaper tech into EDI when setting her up onto the SR2, making her a target as well.

The question was one that was asked the most by the media, militaries, and civilians alike. The only person who could answer it, the one who was there when the Crucible activated, was Commander Shepard.

Unfortunately, Shepard had no memory of anything beyond Anderson's death.

Even so, Shepard still felt that whatever did happen up there, it was her fault that EDI and the geth were affected by the blast. Had there been a way to be able to save them? She had tried all she could to remember, but even now, it's been in vain.

When Shepard was able to speak again after waking up, the Reapers' destruction was explained to her as well as what happened to EDI and the geth. The engineers of the Normandy were doing all they could to bring EDI back online. There were talks about trying to bring the geth back as well, but it was a much harder goal to reach. There were those, mainly politicians, who didn't wish to repeat the past mistakes the quarians made three hundred years ago.

Garrus had told her that Joker came to visit her in the hospital a couple of times while she was still in a coma. Despite knowing this, Shepard felt that she couldn't face him just yet. Even though she had no memory of setting off the Crucible, something deep within told her that she was responsible for EDI's death.

For two months after waking up from a coma, Shepard dreaded the day Joker would come by her room for a visit. During more quiet nights when there was nothing to distract her, she tried to think of what to say to him. At the same time, she tried to figure out how he might reply to her words.

Then, the day came when Joker arrived during visiting hours. Shepard was watching a news report about the recovery efforts around the galaxy. Garrus had left to escort his father and sister to Palaven (his second trip to his homeworld since the relay there reopened a month before). She remembered taking in a quick gasp, not expecting him right then and there. Suddenly, she was sorting a million questions through her head. What do I say? How will he react?

Then, something caught her off guard even more… she certainly did not expect to see a big grin plastered onto his face.

"Hey Commander," Joker said cheerfully. "How are you?"

The first words Shepard managed to blurt out were, "Please tell me that grin of yours is a sign that I'm getting the hell out of here."

"No, but the news is even better." By then, Joker settled down in the chair next to her bed, the one Garrus usually occupied when he was by her side. "It's news from the Normandy as a matter of fact. Wanna to guess what it is?"

Shepard looked up towards the ceiling and raised both of her eyebrows. She hummed as though she was deep in thought for a moment. "Well, they didn't remove your leather seat or else you would be crying."

"Well, that would have happened before the war, but I told the retrofit team that the leather seat was good for my brittle bones."

Shepard stared at Joker. "And did they actually believe that?"

"Of course not, they knew it was bullshit. Luckily, replacing the pilot's seat was low on their priority list. Anyway, I'll give you a few more guesses."

Shepard narrowed her eyes. "I don't like to play guessing games, you know that."

"Hey, I know you hate being here and I'm trying to help pass the time until you really do get out of here."

Shepard sighed at that. "Fair enough. Let's see… Donnelly and Daniels are finally getting married?"

Joker shook her head. "Guess again."

Shepard shook her head. "Unless Tali, Adams, and the rest of the engineers managed to recover EDI, I'm not going to be able to get it right."

She realized what she said and was just beginning to open her mouth to apologize. Then she noticed Joker's grin getting even bigger and his green eyes seemed to beam with joy. She blinked a couple of times, wondering if what she was seeing was just her imagination.

Shepard was flabbergasted once she realized the look on Joker's face was real. "You… you're kidding?"

"I kid about a lot of things," Joker replied. "But I would _never_ joke about something like that."

"But… how did you guys managed to-"

A new voice cut her off and a familiar figure entered the room. "I had a backup drive stored in my quantum blue box just before we arrived in London. After I shut down, I was in the process of repairs. However, the engineers' work on retrieving my data files disrupted my process on numerous occasions, thus why I could not respond until now."

Shepard could only look up in awe as EDI's platform came closer to her bed. Soon, the AI sat on the spare chair next to Joker. A ghost of a smile appeared on her face as she reached over to grasp the human woman's hand.

"Hello, Shepard."

Those two simple words somehow made Commander Shepard cover her face with her free hand and burst into tears for the first time since she could remember.

* * *

With Shepard on medical leave, the Normandy was left without a captain. There was talk over who would take over that role for the time being. Shepard had joked that it was most likely James. "He did express an interest in commanding his own ship."

"Oh, really?" Garrus questioned.

"Then again," Shepard continued. "He said he would when he's, quote, 'Old and can't fight worth shit anymore.'"

"That doesn't surprise me."

Then, the news reported that the Normandy would serve as a diplomatic ship escorting the Council on a galactic tour. Normally, that was a job for the Destiny Ascension, but the famous ship was unfortunately lost during the war. The tour would last for about a year or perhaps longer depending on how much faster the other relays would open up.

The Council included the three Shepard had worked under as a spectre along with the newest human councilor, Dominic Osoba. Shepard had only known him for a short time when he was an Ambassador on the Citadel (replacing Donnel Udina when he became councilor). She had assisted him in finding out the fate of his son Bilal, who had sacrificed himself saving his comrades while fighting Cerberus troops in the colony of Benning.

From what Shepard heard in the news reports and interviews, Osoba knew that going in as the new human councilor was not going to be easy. Not only was he going into the position in the aftermath of a galactic war, but aliens would naturally be wary after Udina's involvement in the Citadel coup. Pretty much every reporter hoped that Osoba would be a much better representation of humanity than his predecessor, but 'only time will tell.'

The Normandy began its tour two weeks ago. The week before the tour, Shepard left the hospital for good to live in the new cabin Garrus bought for them. The place gradually became their own, now filled with more furniture. Garrus had converted the separate garage into his workshop (calibrating their guns of course). There was a small attic window facing the front yard and it was no surprise to Shepard that Garrus had set up a sniper perch there. There was also equipment set up around the living room area for Shepard's twice-a-week physical therapy sessions. Her therapist was an asari who lived in the town for a decade with her human bondmate. At this point, the therapist was the only town citizen Shepard and Garrus had contact with (their 'next-door neighbor' lived a mile away and they haven't even met them yet), so despite Shepard's stubbornness during the sessions, she tried to be as nice as possible with the asari.

Aside from that, the cabin was most definitely ready to welcome guests.

For now, the Normandy was going around Earth to visit the more devastated areas. When it was reported that the Normandy was docked at the port closest to their home, Shepard and Garrus knew exactly what they were going to do that weekend.

"Hello, Shepard," EDI said as soon as the front door opened. Shepard was just about to reply when she noticed a familiar cage in her hands. The little 'squee' that was heard within the box was unmistakable.

"EDI, you brought my hamster here?" Shepard asked, her eyes beaming with happiness at seeing the little guy again.

"Well we couldn't just leave him up in your room while we toured the galaxy without you," Joker explained as he and EDI walked inside the cabin. He then began to chuckle as though he was recalling a memory. "Though the brief time he was on the tour was worth it."

Before Shepard could ask, EDI, who placed the hamster's cage in the middle of the coffee table, explained. "Councilor Tevos was originally assigned to stay in your quarters during the tour. Approximately 2.3 minutes after entering the cabin, she displayed signs of musophobia."

Joker smirked. "EDI has a recording of the moment Tevos saw your hamster. I original said she 'screamed like a banshee,' but EDI told me that the use of that simile was, as she said, 'highly inappropriate given what happened to some of the asari during the war.'"

"I agree with EDI. It's too soon to use that simile, at least when it comes to asari," Shepard said.

"Regardless, would you like to hear the recording?" EDI offered.

"It's not necessary," Shepard answered. "But, had it been Councilor Sparatus instead of Tevos, I would not hesitate to grab a bag of popcorn and settle down to listen in."

Joker laughed at that, not surprised to hear the Commander say that. "Too bad we assigned him to Liara's old cabin instead, huh? Speaking of turians with poles up their ass, where's Garrus?"

Shepard chose to ignore that last statement for now. "He went to pick up dinner for us. He should be back soon."

"Great, I'm starving," Joker said as he sat down on the living room couch. "Heh, if we were back on the Citadel, I would say, 'Hey, why wait when we can just go over to Ryuusei, the best sushi place on the Citadel?' But then I'd be like, 'Oooh yeah, we can't because _somebody broke their floor!_'"

Shepard shook her head as she carefully sat down on the new armchair, propping her feet up on the ottoman to make herself more comfortable. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you? Besides, it wasn't my fault that happened. You were there, remember?"

One side of Joker's lip curled up, a hint that he was just teasing with his next words. "Well, at the time, I was busy trying to find the crew after you used me as bait."

"I told you when we talked about it that it was just a coincidence. I didn't realize that CAT6 soldier was right behind the table until he yelled out to get your attention."

"Uh huh. Hey, considering that we were in a place surrounded by fish, I'm surprised you didn't try to hook me to a fishing rod and casted me off into the middle of the restaurant to grab their attention."

Shepard turned her head to the AI sitting next to Joker. "EDI, are you going to help defend my innocence here?"

EDI looked at the woman across from her. "I'm sorry, Shepard. I'm finding myself highly amused by your current conversation with Jeff."

Shepard leaned back in her chair in exasperation. "I give up."

At that moment, the front door opened as Garrus entered the cabin with two large bags, one held in each hand. "I see that our guests are here," he said.

"It is good to see you, Garrus," EDI replied.

"Sup, Vakarian?" asked Joker.

Shepard noticed the name of the place Garrus went to on the bag. "I thought you were going to that levo-dextro steakhouse."

"I would've been waiting for three hours for the food to be ready, that's how crowded it was tonight," Garrus explained. "So I went to the market instead. The good news is that there's no cooking required."

"I'm wondering what you picked up now," Shepard said. "Good thing I wasn't all set to eat that fried chicken dinner."

"And I hope you didn't pick up something that's still alive," Joker mentioned. "That freaked me out the last time that happened."

"Well I'm pretty sure that meal is nonexistent here on Earth," Garrus said. "But anyway, I actually got myself some _gaina_ with _slanina_ and a side of corn."

That last one threw Joker off. "Corn? Seriously?"

"It's one of only three human foods I can eat as far as I know," the turian explained. "During my C-Sec days, I tried it on a dare and didn't get sick from it. Also, it turns out that I can get a little nutrition from the sugar, so it's not like I'm eating it for nothing."

"And the other two human foods you can eat?" Joker asked curiously.

"One is honey, which I also tried on a dare, and apples. That was tried by accident when I thought it was _marrias_, a Palaven fruit with similarities."

"I see. So… if you got yourself that, what did we humans get?"

Garrus' mandibles flared out in a turian grin as he began to retrieve the levo dinner in the other bag. "Something I know that's popular with your species." He managed to get a platter out and set it down on the coffee table.

When they saw what it was, Joker immediately burst into a fit of hysterical laughter as Shepard buried her face in her hands. "Of all the things to bring home…" she mumbled.

Garrus stared at her in confusion. "What? I thought sushi was popular amongst humans?"

Joker managed to catch his breath by that point. "Well, let's just say that, before you walked in, I was bringing our Commander back down memory lane about Ryuusei."

Shepard shook her head as Garrus laughed. "You know, I almost forgot about that."

"I really should kill you for this, Joker," Shepard grumbled.

A few minutes later, after Garrus heated up his food, he joined the others at the coffee table. Shepard and Joker were already digging into their meal using chopsticks. EDI, of course, didn't need to eat so she simply observed both human and turian eating habits.

"So," Garrus began to say. "I hear the Normandy is going to tour the galaxy with the council."

"Yup," Joker replied. "So now instead of fighting a galactic war, we now get to serve as chauffeurs for touring politicians." He shook his head a little. "I don't know which is worse."

"I can assure you that being a part of a galaxy-wide tour is the better option, Jeff," said EDI.

"I know, I know, but I still don't have to like it."

EDI turned her head to the commander. "Shepard, I thought it may interest you to know that your fish are doing well. The VI you installed in the tank will continue to provide them with an adequate supply of food for the next four hundred and three days."

Shepard's eyes widened at that right after swallowing a salmon nigiri. "I… forgot all about them…"

Garrus couldn't help but laugh. "Well that would explain why those poor fish died in the tanks all the time when the ship was under Cerberus."

Shepard narrowed her eyes at the turian. "Hey, that happened only one time!"

"It actually happened in a total of two times," EDI reminded her.

"Really?" Garrus asked in surprise. "I swore it was more than that."

Joker suddenly laughed as a thought came to him. "Speaking of which, that reminds me of an old mission..."

"I'm afraid to know where this is going," Shepard mumbled as she rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger.

Despite her groans, Joker proceeded. "I remember this one time during the SR1 days where we were sent to… I can't remember the planet name, but it was in the Attican Beta cluster. Hackett had asked you to retrieve a data module-"

"The planet was Eletania," Garrus reminded him. "I was on that mission with Shepard and Liara."

Shepard had a feeling she knew where this was going. "Then Garrus already knows the story."

"Yes he does, but EDI doesn't," Joker said. "Anyway, it turned out that the module was stolen by these pyjaks that lived there. So they spent a long time search around trying to figure out which pyjak stole the module. They soon found this little pyjak colony, so they went to investigate, but before Shepard had a chance to stop the Mako, one of the wheels ran over one of the pyjaks."

"Ugh," Shepard groaned. "I knew it…"

"Hey, back then I said that I guessed it had it coming," Garrus mentioned.

"Yes," Joker proceeded. "But then Liara said how this was why humans were aggressive or reckless or something like that."

Shepard stared at the pilot. "It was an accident! She didn't even give me a chance to even say anything before she blurted that out."

"Uh huh. You've been saying that for years, Commander."

"Because it's true!"

"I am sure that the pyjak's demise was instantaneous," EDI tried to assure her.

Garrus laughed. "There are quite a few things I think you'll never live down."

Shepard turned her attention to him. "So we got dead fish and crushed pyjaks. Anything else you would like to add to that?"

Garrus leaned back in his chair, opening up a bottle of dextro beer. "This one is also from the SR1 days. You, Wrex, and I were on Ontarom. After the Alliance picked up Toombs and that scientist, we were exploring the planet for resources. At one point, we had to stop to make a field repair from the damage the Mako took from the fight on the base. You and Wrex were both on lookout while I was making the repairs."

Joker grinned as he remembered what happened in this story, but for EDI's sake (and Shepard's misery), he kept quiet. Garrus proceeded with the story. "I didn't notice it then, but there was this creature that came up behind Wrex. They reminded Shepard of, what were they called… cows?"

"Yeah…" Shepard grumbled.

"So the cow actually took a credit chit from Wrex. Not long after, Wrex noticed that his chit was gone. At the time, the two of us were still getting used to each other since our species were naturally enemies. Of course, he started to accuse me of stealing his chit. I was defending myself when we both happened to turn to Shepard just in time to see the cow steal her credit chit. She didn't even notice it happening. Wrex and I just stood there in silence for a few seconds before we both burst out laughing at the same time."

"And thus the event became known as, 'The Shifty-Looking Cow Incident,' as Wrex called it," Joker finished.

Shepard shook her head at that. "I have to say, seeing the two of you laughing your asses off was pretty scary at the time."

EDI spoke up. "Shepard, 'laughing your asses off' is physically impossible."

Joker cut in. "EDI, it's a figure of speech. It just means that they were hysterically laughing, like I was before when Garrus pulled out the sushi platter."

"Oh, I see."

A half hour later, dinner was finished with the three organics in the room having their own bottle of beer. A question lingered in Joker's mind and he dared himself to ask. "So… do you two miss being on the Normandy?"

That got a small frown from Shepard. "Well… I do miss traveling. I also miss being in the moment of the fight and the adrenaline feel I got from it. I definitely _do not_ miss being in a galaxy-wide war."

"Here, here," Joker agreed. "What about you, big guy?"

"I feel the same way," Garrus answered. "And I admit… it's nice to not dodge from a bullet every single day. Now I just dodge from nosy reporters whenever I travel to Toronto to help out at the turian camp up there."

"Are you considering retirement?" EDI questioned.

There was a bit of silence for a few seconds and Joker noticed the couple turning to look at each other for just a moment. Then, Shepard answered. "I think, for now, we're… trying out the civilian life, testing the waters. I guess it's best to try it while my legs aren't working right at the moment."

"I know it's a pain in the ass limping when you walk," Joker commented. "I had to do it my whole life." He shrugged. "Then again, I'm used to it. You've always been stubborn, Shepard. You'll get through it, I know you will."

Shepard smiled. "Thanks for the confident boost."

"Anytime." Joker then looked at their surroundings. "You know, you guys got a really nice place. Really old, but nice." He then looked at Garrus. "Hey, if I remember correctly, it gets really cold here. Don't turians, like, hate that or something?"

"Yes it does and yes we do," Garrus replied.

"We did talk about living somewhere warm and tropical," Shepard mentioned. "But, well… we're pretty sure the press won't think to find the great Commander Shepard and her turian lover way out here."

"Gee, that sounds dirty and clinical when you say it like that," Joker said. Shepard laughed at that while Garrus fluttered his mandibles as though he was suddenly embarrassed. Joker noticed it, but he decided that it was best not to ask them what that was about.

"If you change your mind," EDI began to say. "May I suggest the asari colony, Nevos. The climate there is known to be pleasantly warm and it is famous for its sandy beaches and romantic twin moons.

"We'll keep that in mind, thank you EDI," Shepard said.

Later, the four of them watched a comedy movie that EDI had recommended before calling it a night. Joker and EDI had the honor to be the first to spend the night in the guest room.

* * *

The sound of chirping birds woke Joker up from his sleep. A groan escaped his throat as he carefully stretched his limbs, rubbing a tired eye with the back of his hand.

"EDI?" Joker called out.

"Good morning, Jeff," the AI greeted from the desk chair in the room. Because she didn't need sleep, EDI would usually spend the night looking through extranet sites or playing games that she had downloaded into her system. Sometimes, her platform would lie next to Joker. Other times, she would be in the co-pilot seat or the AI Core if they were back on the Normandy. And then there would times, like, now, where she would choose to sit in a comfortable spot.

"Did you sleep well?" EDI asked as Joker sat up.

"Better than usual," the pilot admitted. "What time is it?"

"It is seven thirty-three am. We have another two hours and twenty-seven minutes before we need to return to the Normandy."

"I know," Joker said with a yawn. He carefully got himself out of bed and began to get dressed. "Do you know if Shepard and Garrus are up?"

"I sensed movement from outside the bedroom a few minutes ago. I believe at least one of them is awake."

"I guess I'll find out soon enough."

After a few minutes in the bathroom, Joker began to make his way down the hallway and towards the kitchen. He figured that at least one person was up because he could smell freshly grinded coffee in the air. Hopefully, it was the levo kind because he really could use some right now.

Just as he was reaching the corner, he suddenly heard Shepard yell out. "Ow! Watch the hip." For some reason, that made Joker stop in his tracks.

That's when he heard Garrus. "It's not my fault you humans lack the plates we turians have."

'_Well, looks like they're both up,_' Joker thought.

He heard Shepard laugh and Joker suddenly stiffened. It was the kind of laugh that one would normally hear in the bedroom, at least that's what he gathered from watching porn vids. "We're a lot more durable than we look."

"That you are," Garrus replied.

'_Uh…_'

"Now move your tush, Vakarian, I need to stretch out my leg."

"How many names do you humans have for our rear ends?"

"A lot."

There was a shuffling noise coming from the living room. Then, a moment of silence followed and Joker was just about to step forward again when he heard Garrus rumble. "You're so soft."

That sultry laugh from Shepard was heard again. "Don't try to distract me."

"Who said I was distracting you?"

That same shuffling noise was heard again as though one of them was trying to adjust themselves. A second after that, Shepard spoke. "You know, I've always been impressed by your reach."

Garrus chuckled this time. "Well, with your flexibility, I'm impressed with how you, um… um… ended up the way you are now."

"That's all you can up with?"

"My, eh, kava hasn't kicked in yet."

"Excuses, excuses." Then, Shepard's voice when low with what sounded like lust. "If you're still feeling sleepy… maybe I can help you with that, big guy."

That last quote confirmed Joker's suspicions. '_Why are they doing _that_ now instead of waiting for EDI and I to leave? What the shit!_'

Joker tried to back away as quietly as possibly, but he only managed to get two feet before he heard Garrus. "Joker, is that you out there?"

'_Shit…_' He forgot that turians had good hearing compared to humans. Well, no use in hiding now.

"Uh, yeah, it's me."

"There's coffee in the kitchen if you want some," called out Shepard. "I even made it the way you like it. It should still be warm."

"Um, appreciate it." Joker closed his eyes and made a beeline for the kitchen. At least now, his back was turned towards the two.

Just as he reached the counter, he heard something rub against leather-like material, making it sound like a raspberry. Joker turned around on instinct, only realizing a split second later what he was doing. His eyes widened at the sight in front of them.

Shepard was balancing herself on two hands and one leg with the other limb stretched out in front of her. Garrus sat on her right as he helped her stretch out the leg. Both of them sat on top of a blue

"Good lord, I hate it when my move and my bare feet end up making that noise against the mat," Shepard grumbled. "Remind me to ask the therapist to get one with different materials."

"If that's possible," Garrus replied. "Well, I think we're done with your exercises for now."

Joker was sure that he went pale upon realizing that all that shuffling and talking was nothing more than them doing exercises for Shepard's benefit. '_I soooo need my coffee, like, now._'

Garrus got on his feet before helping Shepard up. She struggled a little as she pulled, but was soon standing. Garrus began to head over to the kitchen to retrieve a cup of coffee for Shepard while she settled down onto the couch in the living room.

"So you guys always do that in the morning?" Joker asked.

"It's part of her physical therapy," Garrus explained. "What we were just doing helps with stretching and coordination in her legs. We try it for about ten minutes in the morning. It helps a bit with preparing her muscles for the rest of the day."

"I… see," was all Joker got out before he took a big gulp of his drink.

Before they realized it, it was time to say goodbye. EDI mentioned that they would remain on Earth for a few more days before they began to head over to some of the nearby human colonies. Hugs and handshakes were exchanged before Joker and EDI got into their rented skycar and made their departure.

Garrus closed the front door behind them before turning to Shepard, who left a little space between them. She started to laugh, but before Garrus could ask what it was about, she explained herself. "How much do you want to bet Joker had heard some of our talk and thought we were… you know…"

Garrus chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her. "Well. It _might_ have been true if he showed up a couple of minutes later."

Shepard gave him a faux shocked look. "You know that this is only for my physical therapy."

"I know, but…" His voice went into a low pitch that he knew drove her crazy. "I can't help but think how much I want you when you're that close."

He felt a slight shiver run through her and he grinned in satisfaction before leaning forward to nip lightly at her neck. "You know… I bet some 'reach and flexibility' in bed would be a nice therapy right about now, if you're up to it."

Shepard snorted at that. "You're so corny when you try to talk sexy."

Garrus grinned, knowing that she was only teasing him. "That's why you love me."

Shepard couldn't help but smile. "Very true."


	4. Doubts & Frustration

**A/N: Once again, thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows!**

**I tried to make the medical stuff as accurate as I could in this chapter. My research hasn't really turned up much either, so I went with what I did find out. Feel free to correct me if it doesn't sound right and I will make the necessary edits.**

* * *

**Chapter Four – Doubts and Frustration**

The day started out nice. There wasn't a single cloud in the skies above the small town where the Shepard-Vakarian home was located. Weather reports promised that the skies of Toronto would also be the same and will remain so for the entire weekend.

It was perfect. Garrus and Shepard had planned to spend the entire weekend in Toronto. Garrus himself had been there a few times to help out at the turian refugee camp, but this will be Shepard's first time there in five weeks since leaving the hospital.

Garrus knew that getting Shepard out of their small town would do her good. For the last two weeks after Joker and EDI's visit, she was feeling a tad bit jealous that they got the opportunity to travel the galaxy (then again, they were stuck with chauffeuring the Councilors around).

The only downfall to Shepard about going to Toronto was that she had a doctor's appointment. As a matter of fact, she was supposed to be visiting one last week, but Shepard had refused to see anyone but Dr. Chakwas. Dr. Chakwas ended up being assigned back to the Normandy to travel with the Councilors. Shepard didn't blame her for taking the offer. Dr. Chakwas always preferred life on a ship compared to being groundside. The only other doctor Shepard may have considered seeing was Dr. Michel, but the last she heard, the younger doctor was all the way in Geneva helping out with the recovery efforts there.

As a compromise, Dr. Chakwas recommended a colleague of hers who had opened up a new clinic in Toronto a few weeks after the war ended. Shepard still preferred to see Chakwas, but Garrus insisted that she should at least give this doctor a chance. Shepard eventually accepted but only because she was a friend of Chakwas.

The appointment was for noon. So she and Garrus packed their bags the night before and headed out the next morning in their skycar. They also took food and clothing donations collected by the human owner of the local market. He had asked Garrus to take them up to Toronto once he heard that the turian was making a trip up there two days ago.

The travel was as long as Shepard remembered it. Most of it was spent with her and Garrus in a comfortable silence, the car's stereo playing a mix of both human and turian music that was downloaded into the system.

At one point, Garrus raised a brow ridge at a particular lyric in an old human song that was playing at the moment. "Um, did my translator just glitch or did the singer actually mention throwing a speed ball? Because last I checked, a speed ball was a human drug."

Shepard shook her head, but chuckled a little. "You're hearing it right. And actually, it was originally a term for a fast ball in a human game called baseball. People have misinterpreted it back then, and it seems like now they're getting it wrong two hundred years later."

"So in that case, why not call it a fast ball instead?" Garrus questioned.

"Because, well, why not? It might be an old term even for those times, but it's not the singer's fault that people misinterpret it. And let's stop talking about it. You're going ruin the song for me."

Garrus laughed and decided to drop it.

Soon, they arrived in Toronto after fighting with traffic (even with skycars, traffic was still an issue in city areas, especially after the war). Shepard had a half hour to spare before her appointment, so Garrus decided to drop her off at the clinic. He offered to help her out, but Shepard insisted on getting out of the car on her own. It took a minute, but Shepard let out a little victory yell once she managed to stand on her feet.

Garrus smiled at her little cheer. Indeed she was in a good mood.

"Send me a message when you're done," Garrus said to her.

"Hopefully it won't take long," Shepard replied. "I'll see you in a little bit."

With that, she closed the car door. Garrus stayed long enough to make sure she got inside before taking off to head to the turian camp.

Shepard made it to the front desk after a few minutes of her slow walk, taking a deep breath while trying to be calm about it. There were a few other patients waiting for their appointments. Shepard was aware of a few of them staring, most likely recognizing her. She thought about pulling her hood over her head to conceal her face, but quickly decided against it. The patients have already seen her face anyway at this point.

A she expected, the nurse at the front desk gave her some forms to fill out. '_Always the fun part,_' she thought to herself as she sat down at the closest empty chair she found.

Fifteen minutes of filling out forms and an additional twenty minute wait later, the doctor was ready to see her. The usual quick exams came along which included taking her blood pressure, temperature, and recording her weight and height. Then, the nurse escorted her into an exam room and said that the doctor would be with her shortly.

Another ten minutes went by. Then, she heard a soft knock at the door before it opened. A middle-aged woman with gray hair tied back in a low bun entered the room, a warm smile coming over her face upon seeing her patient.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Hinato," she greeted cheerfully. She extended her arm out in hopes of shaking her hand. "It's an honor to meet you, Commander. Dr. Chakwas told me so much about you."

Shepard reached out to shake her head. "I'm sure most of it involved how much of a pain in the ass I can be when I'm a patient." She said this with a friendly grin.

Dr. Hinato chuckled. "Well, she did warn me about that. But she also told me how much of a good friend you've been to her."

"She's been with me from day one," Shepard mentioned.

"I hope I'm not taking offense by, um, replacing her, Commander."

Shepard waved a hand. "No offense at all. And please, call me Shepard."

"Of course, Commander, um, sorry, Shepard." Dr. Hinato soon activated her omni-tool. "Now, let's get down to it. I'll be doing a quick scan to see where you are at. Dr. Chakwas also has sent me your medical records from both your time on the Normandy and your time at the hospital after the war."

"So I assume she told you about my… upgrades."

"She did," the doctor confirmed. "Very extensive work from what she told me."

"They didn't come cheap, that's for sure."

A small beep was heard, indicating to the doctor that the scan was complete. "Let's see… it looks like your body is accepting the bolts and rods in your hips and legs. Has there been any improvement with walking since you left the hospital?"

Shepard frowned a little. "Not really. I mean, I walked less in the beginning only because I just got out of the hospital, but I get around a little more now. If we're talking about speed, or how long I can stand, again, not really."

"I see," Dr. Hinato continued. "Also, it looks like those upgrades you've mentioned are doing well on your upper body. From your records, the upgrades in your legs were the ones that shut down."

Shepard nodded. "Yes. The… original records involving my upgrades have been lost after the war. I still have contact with the person who oversaw my… procedure, and she tried what she could to restore what was damaged. She's no longer associated with those who gave her the funding, so she wasn't able to fix everything."

"That's a shame."

Shepard felt herself twitch a little at that comment, but she reminded herself that she didn't give the doctor the name of that 'association.' She also guessed that Dr. Chakwas didn't mention about Cerberus to her either.

"Something tells me it's for the best," Shepard said in reply.

There was another fifteen minutes of routine exams with the doctor asking more questions. To keep up with conversation, Shepard dared herself to ask if Dr. Hinato still had family after the way. She was happy to hear that her younger sister and her family survived. They had lived on Terra Nova and managed to get on the escape shuttles just as the Reapers hit. The family had returned to Terra Nova only a couple of months ago. Dr. Hinato had a husband, but he passed away from illness long before the war.

Once the exams were done, Dr. Hinato shut off her omni-tool after taking a few notes. "You're recovery is a slow one of course, but you are doing much better. Your scars are still healing, but most of them will fade with time."

Shepard grinned. "And maybe once I can get these legs working again, I could go back to being a soldier and add more scars to my collection."

It was meant as a joke, but Shepard didn't miss the falter in Dr. Hinato's warm smile. She knew that the doctor wanted to say something in reply, so she folded her arms in front of her. "Is there anything else that needs to be mentioned?" she asked flatly.

"There is," Dr. Hinato said. The warm smile that had been on her face throughout the whole exam was now gone. Shepard knew she wasn't going to like what she was about to hear. Even so, it was best to get it over it now than to hear it later.

"As you know, your recovery was and still is a long one," Dr. Hinato proceeded. "The bolts and rods are doing their job and it's possible that with further surgery, there will be improvement. However, not all surgery outcomes are what we expect."

Shepard squeezed her own arm a little, feeling dread coming over her. "Are you saying that I might not be able to walk right again?"

She could tell Dr. Hinato was a bit taken aback by her bluntness by the way her dark eyes widened a little. The truth was that Shepard didn't like jumping around the subject and preferring to get to the point. She was pretty sure that Dr. Chakwas didn't tell her colleague that part.

"I'm not saying there's no hope," Dr. Hinato continued. "But you don't want to set yourself up for disappointment, either. Each case similar to yours has different results. Sometimes, the body will recover completely and is able to adjust to the bolts and rods like it was a part of who the person is physically, like they were born with it. Others, however, don't always see that result. In the end, it depends on how your body adjusts in the aftermath of a traumatic injury. You also need to take into account that you took a lot of damage; broken bones, third degree burns, lacerations… some that were infected when you were found… they said it was a miracle when you were found alive."

…_Multiple bone dislocations and fractures in the legs and hips, five broken ribs, third degree burns on 45% of her body, mostly on her left side, and lacerations with infection trying to make its way in._

The doctors at the hospital also said it was a miracle… Shepard personally called it, 'pretty damn lucky.'

"But… even if you do full recover in the end," the doctor continued. "There's a possibility that it would take years for it to happen."

As Dr. Hinato spoke, Shepard was slowly standing herself up, using the exam table for support. She was on her feet by the time the doctor was done. "So… even if I bust my ass in physical therapy…"

"There will be improvements," Dr. Hinato reminded her. "But again, it all depends on how your body adjusts to it."

Shepard sighed, her face remaining neutral. "Thank you, but I think that will be all."

Dr. Hinato frowned as she nodded. "If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call me."

"Sure."

Shepard then left the exam room and made her way out of the clinic as quickly as her legs could take her, placing her hood over her head the minute she stepped outside. She didn't stop walking until she felt the muscles in her legs protest from all the strain it was no longer used to only a year ago. There was a park not too far from her and she headed there. The park still contained debris and fallen trees from the war, but she didn't care how it looked at the moment. At least she would be away from the streets.

It didn't take long for her to find an empty bench to sit down, her legs and hips feeling relieved once the pressure was taken off. She took a deep breath for a moment before activating her omni-tool to send a message;

_13:54 – Shepard: I'm sitting at the park one block east from the clinic._

She received a reply not long after.

_13:57 – Vakarian: I'm just finishing up here. I'll be over in a few minutes. There's a levo-dextro restaurant on the other side of town if you're hungry._

_13:58 – Shepard: That sounds good. Hopefully they have some good sandwiches. I'll see you soon._

Figuring that Garrus wasn't going to reply to her last message, she closed her omni-tool. She then leaned back a little against the bench and let herself relax, forcing herself to not think about what she was told at the clinic today. Feeling a bit tired, she decided to briefly close her eyes until Garrus got here.

Five minutes later, it turned out that closing her eyes was a mistake.

She suddenly heard footsteps close to her and she ended up jolting out of instinct. Before she had the chance to comprehend what was going on, a news reporter was suddenly right up in her face with her camera man just behind her.

"Commander Shepard!" the reporter called. "Kimberly Tanner, XLSixteen News."

'_Great…_' Shepard thought. She heard of them before… they were a 'news source' that was well known to be more interested in 'confirming' gossips and rumors rather than, say, being concerned about the aftermath of a galactic war.

She took a deep breath before speaking. "Look, if you're here for an interview-"

Tanner cut her off quickly. "The galaxy thought you disappeared, yet, here you are sitting her at the park _admiring_ the view."

Already, Shepard felt the urge to punch her. That's a new record, she realized.

"Is there any reason for disappearing right after the end of the Reaper War?"

Shepard shook her heard. She also noticed a small crowd that started to gather nearby, hopefully out of simple curiosity. "Look, I was in the hospital for eight months-"

"And then what happened afterwards?" Tanner pressed. "Do you feel that now that you've done your job that you think that its 'unnecessary' for you to be further involved with helping the galaxy?"

Shepard found herself taken aback by those words. The urge to punch her was even fiercer, but she realized that's what this kind of 'news source' wanted to see. If only she could get out of here… but her legs, unfortunately, wouldn't carry her far enough. For the first time since waking up at the hospital, she felt trapped.

Still, she took a deep breath before speaking again. "Let me answer that with a couple of questions. What are you doing about the recovery efforts? What is XLSixteen doing about it? Clearly, the money that could be spent on helping refugees is instead being used to pay 'reporters' like you to deliver cheap gossip with poorly asked questions to the public."

She tried not to smirk in satisfaction as Tanner's jaw dropped open in shock by the question. She quickly regained herself before opening her mouth again. "But the people are aware of what's going on. We can only remind them so much. They need to know what else is happening in the galaxy."

"But not everyone watches other news sources like the Alliance New Network," Shepard pointed out. "I'm sure you have viewers who only watch your show and the best thing you can do for them is let them know what's going on here on Earth. Get them more aware of how things look as we try to get ourselves back together."

She could tell that Tanner was getting even more annoyed with her by the way she pressed her lips into a thin line. "Is this what we can expect from you from this point on, Commander?" the reporter pressed after a few seconds of silence. "Do you still think you have the right to command the people over what they can do while you sit here _admiring_ the view in front of you?"

That was enough.

"This is over," Shepard said while standing up. Unfortunately, her legs only got her two feet (which she expected, but damn if she didn't at least try) before Tanner and the camera man got in her face again.

"Is sitting here your way of 'honoring' the billions who lost their lives in this war? What about those who died in the Bahak system _before_ the war?"

"Get away from her!" a voice yelled out. Shepard let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, thankful to finally hear Garrus' voice. It didn't take long before he put himself between Shepard and the camera.

"Sir, we're in the middle of an interview," Tanner said trying to act casual.

"The hell you are!" Garrus growled. "I assume that intruding and harassing people is your way of getting what you want?"

"I-"

Garrus got into Tanner's face then. "Enough! When's Shepard's ready for an interview, she'll let you know, though I'm sure it won't be with you."

He then proceeded to confiscate the camera, which unfortunately only worked by offering money. By then, Shepard had made her way to the skycar, wanting nothing more than to get away from the scene. She was settled in the car by the time Garrus got into the driver's seat.

"Next time we're flying, remind me to make sure to space this thing," he said as he put the now-broken camera into the back of the car. He then drove off in hopes that no one attempted to get a picture of them as they left.

Shepard casted her eyes down. "I never thought I'd see the day when I realize how much I miss Al-Jilani's 'friendly' nature…"

A sigh escaped Garrus as he took Shepard's hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."

Shepard shook her head before whispering her next words. "It's not your fault… I was caught off guard. Though I'm sure if I tried to get away again, I would've barely made it three feet before they caught up with me."

"Shepard…"

"Can we… get our food to-go and just… go home? I… don't want to be here anymore."

Garrus released another breath. To think that they were both in high spirits just this morning and now it's all gone to hell. He couldn't even begin to think about what happened at the clinic, but he had to guess that it wasn't good. In the past, she never let the reporters get to her like this, but it was obvious that more happened besides being harassed by news people.

The turian gently squeezed her hand. "Okay."

They left Toronto after picking up their lunch. Shepard got herself a pastrami sandwich on a roll with mustard, but she barely ate the first half of her sandwich before wrapping it up and putting it back in the carry-out bag.

There was nothing but silence for the rest of the ride. Even the music was turned off, and Garrus suddenly wished he was listening to those bad human lyrics from that system if only to ease the tension that hung in the air.

The sun was just setting by the time they got home. Garrus tried to help Shepard get back to the house once he parked the skycar on the driveway.

"I don't need to hold someone's hand every time I have to get up," she said flatly.

That pretty much confirmed his suspicion that something did happen at the clinic today. However, he decided not to press the matter at the moment. He can only watch as she got out of the car and made her way up the porch stairs.

When she reached the door, Garrus sighed. What would've normally taken less than minute… just simply getting out of the car to get to the house… ended up taking five minutes for Shepard by herself. He figured weeks ago that the possibility of living like this for the rest of her life might eventually take a toll on Shepard. He was just hoping that it didn't happen so soon after leaving the hospital.

The house was quiet for the remainder of the night…

* * *

_Three Days Later..._

Every Monday morning, Garrus would work on cleaning, fixing, and calibrating whatever he could get his hands on. He would always start his work around the time Shepard's physical therapist came over for their two-hour session. The routine was the same on Thursdays as well.

Today, Garrus worked on adding upgrades to the M-98 Widow sniper rifle that he owned and the Black Widow that belonged to Shepard. Back when the Normandy SR2 was a Cerberus vessel, Shepard purchased them both (with Cerberus' money, might to her amusement) with the M-98 being a gift to him during shore leave.

On that same shore leave however, Shepard got bold (which shouldn't surprise him) when she decided to try out the M-98 at the shooting range. The weapon was known to have such a kick that it would shatter human bones. Shepard figured that she could withstand the punishment due to her cybernetic implants courtesy of Cerberus.

The recoil ended up dislocating her right shoulder.

Garrus had helped her with pulling her shoulder back in its socket and placing some medigel on it. Dr. Chakwas also put her out of commission for a few days to give her shoulder a chance to heal. Despite recovering, Shepard was left with a kink in her shoulder that she always had the urge to stretch out. She also never touched the M-98 again and stayed with the Black Widow.

As he added the upgrades, Garrus heard footsteps just outside the open garage door. The steady steps told him that it wasn't Shepard who was approaching since hers were more like shuffles these days. He turned around and soon saw Shepard's physical therapist, Cyrena Linard. She was one of the town locals who lived here for about ten years with her human bondmate. Shepard wasn't the most patient person in the world, but she actually liked Cyrena enough to cooperate. However, the turian had a feeling that today was different if the weariness on the asari's face was anything to go by.

"Hi Garrus," Cyrena greeted him. "I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment."

Garrus nodded. "What can I do for you?"

Cyrena let out a slow breath as she folded her arms in front of her. "I know I'm just her physical therapist, but I couldn't help but be concerned for her. She was impatient during our session today."

"This past weekend wasn't… the best," Garrus said.

"I heard about XLSixteen station ambushing her," Cyrena admitted. "I don't know if you know, but witnesses reported what happened. The station's president actually suspended that reporter without pay. To be honest, I think it really stems from the mention of the Bahak system on a human gossip show and getting a few threatening calls from the Batarians once they heard about it."

He wished he could buy those witnesses who reported Tanner a round of drinks for helping out.

"Still, that's good to know, thanks," Garrus replied. "Shepard and I chose to avoid watching TV and looking at any news sites since it happened, at least for a couple of weeks."

"I don't blame you. Anyway, I did try to bring that up to her, but she shrugged it off like it was nothing. Honestly, I think she's still hurt over what happened."

"Normally it wouldn't," Garrus admitted. "But a few minutes before the reporter came along, she had left a medical clinic after being told not to get her hopes up about fully recovering."

Cyrena frowned. "I'm trying what I can to help her. The least I can do is ease discomfort as much as possible. I'd like to try to see if I can get her to walk for as long as possible before her legs and hips protest against the pain. For now, I'm trying to get her to focus on getting her muscles used to movement again."

"We appreciate any help from you," Garrus said and began resuming his work on the rifle upgrades.

However, he noticed the asari still standing there as though she wanted to say more. He turned back to her. "Did you need anything else?"

"Well, I had an idea," Cyrena said. "You two have been here for over a month. We see you around town a bit, but no one else has really seen Shepard all that much."

"Walking around town is difficult for her, though she's tried," Garrus said. He thought about the last sentence the therapist said. "But to be honest, I don't think Shepard's ready for any kind of group gathering."

"Oh no, that's not what I was thinking," Cyrena said. "But I would like you two to come over for dinner at my house on Friday night. My husband Jason would love to meet you two. And I think it would be good for Shepard to get out of the house for something that's not errands."

The truth was that Shepard didn't go out as much, especially in the last couple of weeks. She did do some shopping in town when they first came here, but now she's mostly sticking with ordering items from the extranet.

"I'll talk to her about it," Garrus replied. "We'll let you know our decision by Thursday."

Cyrena smiled. "Great! And if you both do come, don't worry about me trying to figure out dextro meals. My father was a turian so I learned how to cook turian cuisines a long time ago."

"Good to know. See you Thursday."

With a wave, Cyrena headed towards her car and soon left. Garrus had already started focusing on those rifle upgrades.

An hour later, Garrus decided to take a break and began heading back to the house. Upon entering, he didn't see Shepard around and figured she might either been taking a bath or watching a vid in the bedroom. He headed over to their shared room.

He was right about Shepard being in the bedroom, but instead of watching a vid, she sat at one of the two chairs facing the large lake behind their house. Garrus went over to her side and soon saw the distant look in her eyes. His mandibles flicked a little against his face, feeling a little anxious suddenly. Clearly she had a lot on her mind. He can only hope that she wasn't experiencing a flashback from the war.

Garrus leaned down to press his forehead against hers. He noticed her blinking rapidly a couple of times before she turned her attention to him.

"Hey," she whispered. "I didn't hear you come in."

Garrus quietly chuckled. "Guess I'm much stealthier than I thought."

"No, I'm just… tired."

He knew it was more than that, but he decided to not press the issue right away. He pulled back from her before settling himself down on the other chair next to her. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"I haven't slept well this whole weekend," Shepard admitted. "I don't know if it's stress from what happened or what."

"I might be," Garrus guessed.

"I saw Cyrena talking you earlier. I guess she brought up how irritated I've been with her today."

"She was actually worried about you. She heard what happened on Friday."

Shepard let out a small puff that closely resembled a humorless laugh. "I'm sure the entire galaxy knows."

"If it makes you feel better, the station suspended that reporter."

"Good."

"Cyrena also mentioned wanting the both of us to come over for dinner this Friday."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "And was there a reason she didn't ask me directly?"

"Probably because she felt it wasn't the right time to ask you given how you've been feeling today, so she asked me instead."

"Well… either way, we're not going."

Garrus turned his head to her, not expecting that kind of answer so quickly. "Why not?"

"I don't need a reason. I see Cyrena twice a week, that's good enough."

"Her husband wants to meet you."

"So does the rest of the galaxy."

Garrus took a deep breath as he started to feel his patience starting to wear down. "Everyone in this town knows we live here. Cyrena said it herself. She just wants us to mingle with them."

"Sure, it'll be nice, at least until one of them accepts the large chunk of money waved in their faces by people like Tanner for information leading to our location."

Garrus tapped a gloved finger on the armrest of his chair. "At this point, that's not going to happen. If they had those kinds of intentions, the reporters would've knocked our door off its hinges by now."

He saw Shepard clench a fist in frustration. "It didn't stop them in Toronto. I'm sure someone at the clinic reported my whereabouts with the stares I got there. Who's to say someone around here won't give into that temptation eventually?"

Garrus shook his head. "Listen… its fine if you don't want to accept that dinner invitation, but I'm also not letting you become a recluse just because someone here _might_ give away our location."

Shepard turned her head to him, anger suddenly flashing through her eyes. "Who says I'm becoming a recluse? I don't know if you've noticed, but I can't exactly walk around town very much!"

"I know that, but we might be living here for a while and I thought maybe meeting some of the people who live here might be nice. We already know Cyrena and I thought accepting her dinner invitation would be a good start."

"Cyrena's a good physical therapist and I like working with her," Shepard said. "That's good enough for me. She'll help me start walking like a normal person again."

Garrus growled in frustration. "And what if doesn't work out like that? What if there is no improvement and you do walk like this for the rest of your life?"

The anger in her eyes was still there, but now he was seeing her lips in a tight, thin line. It was a sign that she was on the verge of screaming out, but was doing everything she can to hold it back. It was also a sign that Garrus knew he crossed a line.

'_Damn it,_' he thought, feeling mad at himself for letting this conversation go in this direction.

Shepard buried her face into her hands. "Get out," she growled through clenched teeth. "Just… get out."

Garrus wanted to argue against being pushed, but he quickly realized by this point, any attempt to soothe things over would end up in a shouting match. So with a grunt, he got up and left the room, closing the door behind him with a little more force than he intended.

That night, he tried to talk again, but the result was the same as before. He ended up sleeping in the guest room that night.

* * *

_The next day…_

After eating breakfast and getting updates about the mass relays from Primarch Victus, Garrus went outside to see what he can fix up today. Since he had already did some work on their rifles, he decided to go see how he can improve the functionality of the skycar.

Garrus ended up losing track of time and barely took any breaks as he focused on improving the engine, cleaning any muck and dirty he found, and double checked the fluids the car required to keep it running.

The sun was just beginning to set by the time he decided to call it a day. He wiped his hands with a rag before placing the equipment he was using back into the toolbox. He then started to head to the garage to put the box away when he noticed movement at the corner of his eye on his right. He only turned his head in time to see Shepard standing on the porch before continuing his way into the garage.

Garrus placed the box back on the wooden shelf that was built within the garage's wall, most likely constructed by a previous owner some years ago. He then turned back and pressed the button to close the garage door on his way out.

As he headed back to the house, he saw that Shepard was in the process of going down the porch steps. He was about to ask her what she was doing, but instead, he found his heart leaping into his throat as Shepard suddenly tumbled forward. Her foot ended up too far off on her step down, causing her to slip and fall. She then felt the wind knocked out of her as she landed hard on her back.

"Shepard!" he called out as he sprinted towards her. When he reached her, he bended down and saw the stunned look on her face as she stared up at the sky. He started to extend his arms to her. "Are you-"

"Don't!" she yelled out suddenly, cutting him off. "Don't help… let me do it myself."

Once more, Garrus found that he wanted to protest, but before he had the chance to say anything, Shepard started to sit herself up. That part was always easier for her. She would place the palm of her hands flat down on either side of her against the surface and use her upper weight to push herself up.

It was the second part that was always hard, even when she was simply trying to get up from bed. Usually, she would use her arms to force her legs to swing over the bed to make the process easier. Then, she would support herself on the nightstand to stand up.

This time, however, it was going to take more than just her arms to get up from the ground. Worse, anything that would help pull her up, including the stairs, were out of her reach. Garrus had offered his hand to help her up, but she completely ignored him as she tried to use her legs to get back on her feet. However, as she put weight on her legs, she let out a small cry of pain and landed back down in a sitting position. Whether the pain was from her injuries or her recent fall, Garrus wasn't sure. Either way, the scene before him bothered him greatly, especially since she wouldn't let him make the situation better for her.

"Shepard, let me help, please…" he quietly begged.

Shepard quickly shook her head. "Don't! I'm not helpless! I'm not useless! I'm not-"

Her voice suddenly cracked as she slumped forward and buried her face into her hands. The dam was holding in everything these last few days was now starting to break.

Despite knowing that he wouldn't hear the end of it later, Garrus reached out and scooped her into his arms before straightening himself back onto his feet. He then walked up to the house and went inside.

The moment the door closed, he felt Shepard bury her face into his neck, muffling a wail that emerged from her throat. He walked over to the couch and carefully sat down, still keeping Shepard in his arms. Once settled, the turian shifted his arms so that he could hold his human closer to him, letting her release her anger, doubts, frustration, and whatever else she was bottling up since she left the clinic… or the hospital she stayed in for eight months, he wasn't sure at this point. Garrus said nothing and offered comfort by gently rubbing her back with one hand to remind her that he was here.

When her sobs finally subsided, the room had darkened a bit from the lack of sunlight. Shepard soon pulled back, her reddened cheeks still streaked with tears, her eyes red, and her breath hitching as she tried to calm herself down.

Garrus wiped the tears that remained on her face. "Talk to me," he whispered, cupping her chin between his thumb and index finger before pushing up a little so that she looked at him. Talking… it was something they should have done over the weekend after what happened in Toronto, but at the same time, he wondered if pushing her to talk then would have made things worse. It didn't matter now.

Shepard closed her eyes, taking in a deep inhale before opening them again, looking down. "I feel… useless."

"You're not useless."

Shepard barely shook her head. "I should be out there helping the galaxy put itself back together-"

"Stop right there," Garrus said firmly, tracing a finger over her lips. "You're the one who lead us all to fight against the Reapers and won." His finger then moved to trace the outline of her jaw. "The best thing you can do now is to take it easy and let us do the rest. You've earned it."

"… Even at such a high cost?"

Garrus sighed, knowing that she meant the Geth. "I know… but once they joined us, they were willing to lay down their existence as much as us organics. You once told me that EDI would fight to the death, remember?"

"Yeah… but it still doesn't make it easy. It's even worse when you can't remember what happened up there."

"I know it doesn't, but the Quarians are doing all they can to bring them back. Some of their software survived the blast, and it's going to help. Not all is lost."

Shepard snorted a little with barely any humor. "Yeah… except maybe the use of my legs."

Garrus took a deep breath. "Even if you don't walk normally again, that still doesn't make you useless. I mean, look at how nice you made the cabin the last few weeks."

That got a dry chuckle out of her as she slowly lifted her head to take in their surroundings. "Well… I guess I'm flattered… I don't think anything really matches around here."

"No, but you worked hard at it," Garrus reminded her.

"And it's only just decorating. That's so small compared to helping with, say, clearing out rubble on the streets."

"So what? The point that I'm trying to make is that you're not just sitting around doing nothing at all."

Garrus then had a small suspicion over where Shepard was getting this 'I'm-useless' idea from and decided to confront her about it. "And if it has anything to do with that reporter, don't listen to them. They can guess and speculate and ignore the fact that you've been injured all they want. If they can't see that you've done the biggest job in the war, they're idiots. You and I both know that they're just trying to get a rise out of you for ratings and money. The next time some tabloid journalist harasses you, you tell them how they should focus on the real issues of the war's aftermath."

Shepard snorted again. "I gave them that advice and they completely blew it off."

"At least you tried. All you can do now at this point is to take comfort in knowing that putting them in their place like that makes _them_ look bad, not you."

Shepard sighed. "I guess."

Garrus leaned forward to touch his forehead to hers. "You've done your part, Shepard. Now be a little selfish for once in your life and rest. Don't worry about what everyone else thinks. They don't know my girl like I do."

That last sentence provoked a small smile from her, which was what he was going for. "They sure don't."

"Just rest tonight. Tomorrow, we'll go out and do something. And… if you still feel like you want to help with getting the galaxy back on its feet, I have a small idea. The guy that owns the local market in town has been very active about helping out the refugees around this part of Earth. I'm sure he might have a few ideas on how you might be able to help besides giving out speeches."

Shepard seemed to think about it for a moment before she slowly nodded. "I guess that's a start… but let's try not to attract a crowd while we're there."

Garrus placed his mouth plates on her lips in a quick kiss. "It's a deal. Now, I'm hungry. I'll go ahead and make dinner."

Shepard suddenly gasped as though a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Shit!"

Garrus gave her a confused look. "What's the matter?"

She shook her head, but a small smile played on her face. "You know, the whole reason I was trying to go down the patio steps was to tell you that dinner's ready. Now the food's probably all cold."

Garrus chuckled at that. "You know you could have just yelled out my name to get my attention." His blue eyes became serious. "Don't try to go down those steps like that again. When I saw you fall down…"

Shepard slowly nodded. "Okay. And I'm sorry I scared you like that. And for the way I acted these last few days."

As she spoke, Garrus had shifted her so that she was now sitting down on the couch. He then got himself up, briefly giving her another kiss before pulling back and headed to the kitchen. "I'll go ahead and reheat our food."

"Get me a root beer while you're at it, will you?"

"Sure."

"Oh, and one other thing."

"Yes?"

"When Cyrena comes over on Thursday, I'll go ahead and accept her dinner invitation. I guess it's about time we try to get to know our neighbors."

That earned a turian grin from Garrus. "Glad to hear it."

* * *

**A/N: The song mentioned earlier in the chapter while Garrus and Shepard headed to Toronto was Bruce Springteen's 'Glory Days.'**


	5. A Spectre Visits

**A/N: I understand that everyone has different opinions on Kaidan. With that in mind, this chapter is Kaidan-friendly.**

* * *

**Chapter Five – A Spectre Visits**

Life living in a small town was different from what Shepard was used to. It wasn't the way she grew up, having been used to a different kind of life. However, as weeks passed and as she let herself get to know the people here, she was starting to think that living this life might not be so bad.

The community was primarily human of course. Until the war, only very few aliens lived here. Cyrena, her physical therapist, was one of only three asaris who were residents at the time. When Shepard and Garrus came over to her house for that Friday night dinner she invited them to, they met her human bondmate, Jason. Jason actually grew up here and the couple had agreed to settle here once they were bonded.

During the war, the Reapers had barely grazed over this part of town. Shepard guessed that it was because the population was so small. Strict rules were placed to make sure everyone was safe. Only residents who were initially out of town at the time of the Reapers' arrival were allowed back in, at least until the war ended. Still, there were some reaper forces that came by, but those with guns and biotics fought until they were either dead or driven out. Only nine people staying within town were killed that night.

However, just because the town didn't look devastated on the outside, it didn't mean that there weren't any scars left behind. Everyone had lost at least one person in the war. There were also a good number of people who had left town beforehand, but never returned. It was why they opened their town to alien settlers when no one was sure whether or not the mass relays would be reactivated anytime soon.

Even now, people were still trying to get back on their feet. The residents, both old and new, were bouncing ideas off of each other and finding new ways of getting the community to help in the recovery effect whether it was local, somewhere on the planet, or even extending help to other worlds in the galaxy.

Going through most of the town, Shepard was seeing some of those ideas in the works. There was one piece of land being used where a few turians and quarians were working with agriculture samples in hopes of growing crops in Earth soil to provide fresh dextro foods. She also spotted some people dressed in white and red uniform getting ready to head over to the makeshift hospital in the next town over (a collaboration idea with the town next door).

There were also talks of creating a housing committee to build small homes for refugees who are unable to return home. That would be a bit of a process because, first, they had to pick a piece of land out to build the homes on. Then, there were also those who don't want to see the project happen. Some were for concerns for resources, others for more… distasteful reasons ("There are enough aliens here as it is!" they might as well say).

The committee leader, who owned the market Garrus usually went for food supplies, wasn't able to find something for Shepard to do just yet (but did assure her that she won't be tossed around just to give speeches), but he promised that he would try to find her good volunteer work that didn't involve physical labor as soon as he could. At least now, Shepard won't have to feel stuck with nothing to do, even if no volunteer work was given to her just yet.

It was going to be another two months before the anniversary of the end of the Reaper War arrived. The housing committee was still being talked about, but there were now plans to erect a memorial for the residents and their extended family that had perished. There were still worries about the use of resources that could be used for more helpful matters, but last Shepard heard, a compromise was being worked out.

Thinking of the anniversary, Shepard couldn't believe how close the date was. Sure, her coma took five months out of her, but even her waking hours seemed like a long crawl, so the passing of time made it feel like years.

She didn't think too much about it, especially after she received an incoming message on her omni-tool.

At the moment, Shepard was sitting outside on the chair on the front porch basking in the afternoon sun (something she would have never thought she find herself doing last year). Garrus had left earlier to get supplies up in a smaller city called Syracuse. The committee leader had recommended the much-closer city (which also had the closest space port, though it was much smaller than the ones in the bigger cities) rather than taking the long trip to Toronto if he only wanted to get supplies. Garrus had only been up to Toronto once since the XLSixteen incident since he wanted to continue to help the turian refugees up there.

Opening up her omni-tool, Shepard smiled when she saw who sent the message to her; Kaidan Alenko. "Long time no talk," she said out loud.

Actually, she hadn't talked to him since his last hospital visit. She wanted to say that was maybe three months ago, but she couldn't quite remember. These days, the Council assigned many of their surviving Spectres to help in taking care of any criminal activities, especially ones that may hinder the galactic-scale recovery efforts. Kaidan had mentioned the last time they spoke that some of the other Spectres were still finding some Cerberus troops who apparently didn't receive the memo that their organization was now defunct.

Kaidan didn't talk about what the Council was having him do specifically, but they did assign him to stay on Earth once the Normandy returned. Now getting a message from him, she wondered what it could be about. She didn't think he was just sending her a 'what's up?' message like Joker usually did.

"Well, one way to find out," she said as she opened up the message;

_Hey Shepard,_

_A little blue bird told me that you and Garrus were sticking around the Northeast these days._

"Liara of course," Shepard whispered. She continued reading the message;

_I'm actually going to be in the area for a couple of days, mostly for Spectre business. You know how that goes. I thought maybe it would be fun to get together at your place, perhaps either tonight or tomorrow night, whatever works best for you. I'll even cook dinner and provide the beer, though I'm afraid that'll leave out Garrus. I still haven't had the chance to learn how to cook dextro meals. Either way, whatever you guys would like to do. Joker told me you two got a nice place._

_Anyway, I didn't mean to ramble on, but it'd be nice to see the both of you again._

_Talk to you soon,_

_Kaidan_

Shepard had to laugh a little while reading his message. She could practically hear him stammering as he tried to explain himself. For as long as she'd known him, Kaidan was always a bit more reserved compared to her other squad mates, so explaining things that didn't involve being a soldier wasn't always easy for him.

Shepard looked at the time and saw that it was only two thirty in the afternoon. Garrus had said that he would probably be home between five and seven this evening depending on what needed to get done. As far as she knew, neither of them had anything planned tonight.

Pressing the reply button, Shepard sent a message.

_Hey Kaidan,_

_It's nice to hear that the Council is keep you busy even while they're touring on my ship. I'm going a bit stir crazy myself, but the community I live in are trying to find some volunteer work for me, so hopefully that'll keep me occupied when the time comes._

_Garrus and I would love to have you over, and tonight sounds great! However, you don't need to make dinner for us. You're a great cook, but you're also a guest in our house. And no, I will not hear another word of it! There's a levo-dextro restaurant nearby that serves the kind of steaks us humans crave for whenever we're on, say, Sur-Kesh. Garrus is in Syracuse at the moment, but he should be home between five and seven tonight, so I'd say come over around six._

_See you soon!_

_Shepard_

At the bottom of the message, Shepard provided Kaidan with the address to the house before sending it forward. Once that was done, she began a new message to be sent to another address.

_Garrus,_

_Kaidan's in the area, and I invited him over for dinner tonight. He'll be here around six o'clock._

_Shepard_

She sent the message before slowly getting up and making her way back inside the house. Shepard headed to the kitchen, pulled out a draw on one of the counters, and took out a menu for the levo-dextro steakhouse she and Garrus got their food from on many occasions in the last two months. Just as she was opening the pamphlet, she received another message. She opened her omni-tool again to read the message.

_Sounds great! I'll see you two tonight._

_Kaidan_

Right after that, another message was sent. Shepard simply clicked on it to see it.

_Shepard,_

_Good thing I didn't plan to stay later tonight! It'll be good to see Kaidan again. Maybe it'll be just like old times._

_Garrus._

Shepard laughed a little and sent him another message.

_Garrus,_

'_Old times' involved us getting shot by a Geth Colossus while on foot. By the way, I'm going to order dinner from the levo-dextro restaurant for take-out between six and seven. Do you minding picking it up? I'd do it myself, but we only have one skycar and you happen to have it in your possession at the moment._

_Shepard_

Shepard then skimmed through the menu, picking out chicken parmesan with spaghetti for herself. For Kaidan, she picked a dinner that came with two New York steaks with garlic mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, and a dinner roll. She was just starting to look over the dextro side of the menu when her omni-tool beeped. Knowing that it was Garrus, she opened up her message box again.

_Shepard,_

_I figured that old times were just us spending time with old comrades… okay, we usually are being shot at, but still. And hopefully, Kaidan is there when I get back because I'm bringing back quite a few things. But yes, I'll pick up dinner on the way home (I wish they delivered like that pizza place you ordered from that one time)._

_Garrus_

_PS – Get me some karne. As for the sides, surprise me._

* * *

Later after the food order was taken care of, Shepard spent the rest of the afternoon watching TV. First, she was watching a 'girl-power vampire buddy comedy' called _Blood Mary_. She ended up channeling surfing twenty-minutes into it after hearing enough cheesy cliché lines to induce a headache.

She then found another movie to watch called, _We Meet Again, Doctor Fear_, which was about a captured salarian agent with a time machine that only took him fifteen minutes back into the past. The movie was somewhat a tad cheesy, but she did find herself laughing quite a bit at most of the funny moments.

Once the movie was over, Shepard looked over at the time and saw that it was five forty pm. She still had another twenty minutes before Kaidan arrived. Deciding to relax until then, she shut off the TV and leaned back into the recliner she was sitting on.

In quiet moments like this, Shepard tried all she could not to think too much about the past in fear of finding herself in a flashback. So she did all she could to keep her mind into a more positive state.

Specifically, she thought about the last few years with Kaidan. They met around 2182 when they were both assigned on the _SSV Bombay_, a small frigate that patrolled around Earth's atmosphere. They were good friends by the time Anderson handpicked them both to serve on the Normandy SR1 a year later. Shepard still remembered being on the SR1 on her first day. She had looked out a small window, gazing down at Earth as it began its departure for Eden Prime, not knowing at that time that life as she knew it would change drastically.

Like Garrus, Kaidan had been there throughout the SR1 days. As a matter of fact, he was right from the beginning. On the _Bombay, _the two had a mutual respect for each other, which grew into a closer friendship by the time they were transferred.

Once Shepard was Commander of the Normandy, one of her routines was to check in on everyone. It mainly served to help her figure out an individual's morale, but it was one part of her job that she looked forward to. It helped to get to know her crew and she always listened to everything they had to say and answered any questions or concerns that came up.

Shepard usually started in the CIC and worked her way down. After speaking with XO Pressly, Joker, and some of the other crew, she would go down the stairs to where the mess hall and the med bay were. Kaidan was always the first of her squad she would talk to.

Kaidan's time at Jump Zero (more professionally known as Gagarin Station where they had sent biotic students for training at a time where humans didn't understand biotics) was something Shepard realized he needed to air out, although he did make it clear that he did put it behind him. He usually kept to himself and didn't like to whine, he said, but she'd figured that working alongside aliens for the first time may have brought back old memories. They were memories of the kind of training that made kids snap or die and where you had to fend for yourself or starve (as she learned a few years later). But there were good memories, like the time he spent with his classmates and his crush on a girl named Rahna. Perhaps maybe things may have worked between them, but Rahna had ended up being afraid of him after he snapped his turian trainer's neck with a biotic kick in her defense.

It was during their talks that Shepard realized that he had a crush on her. He didn't even have to say anything directly. Hearing him describe Rahna as 'beautiful' and 'strong, but not stuck up about it,' followed by 'like you, ma'am,' was an obvious giveaway. Despite the Alliance rules on fraternization, she figured, 'why not?' When the hunt for Saren was over, Shepard realized that she had grown to care for Kaidan and decided to see where their relationship took them.

Then, the SR1 was attacked. Kaidan didn't want to leave, but she had ordered him to help the others get to the escape pods while she rescued Joker. Two years later, she woke up in a Cerberus lab and was brought back from the dead.

For weeks, Shepard wasn't sure what happened to Kaidan. Even Anderson had said the information was classified since she was working with Cerberus (not really by choice). She eventually found him on the colony Horizon when Cerberus asked her to investigate for the Collectors there (meanwhile, the Alliance thought that Cerberus was working with the Collectors).

Kaidan's words on Horizon stung her (though she was thrown for a loop when he admitted that he loved her… guess it was more than a crush). It was something she should have expected. She couldn't imagine the grief and guilt he had to endure in the aftermath of the attack, and even she was sure she'd be skeptical about her return if their roles were switched. Either way, Shepard had initially thought that what she and Kaidan had was over.

Kaidan had later sent her a message about what was going through his head when he saw her on Horizon. However, with so much happening after that day, Shepard didn't have the chance to even look at the message. By the time she did, the Collector base was destroyed and she already realized that she had strong feelings for Garrus.

They didn't see each other again until right before the Reapers hit in Vancouver. They both found themselves back on the Normandy and soon headed to Mars. Kaidan had been hurt at the end of that mission. Shepard still worried about him despite her initial annoyance with his questions about her involvement with Cerberus.

In the end, despite Horizon and despite pointing their guns at each other during the Cerberus coup, they were able to put all the bad things from the last three years behind them. Kaidan had even accepted that Shepard had moved on from their relationship ("As long as you're happy, that's all that matters," he had said then).

When Kaidan came back onto the Normandy, Shepard personally found it amusing when the crew started betting over who was going to win the 'romance brawl' between Garrus and Kaidan (she only found it because Joker had let it slip by accident). She had faith in them, especially considering that they were both grown men who had respected each other since the SR1 days. Garrus did say that they did talk… Kaidan had said to him, 'Take care of her.' That was that as far as Shepard knew.

Shepard's mind suddenly brought her back to the present as the front door opened. Turning her head, she saw Garrus come inside carrying two bags from the levo-dextro restaurant she ordered from earlier today.

"You're home early," Shepard said as she looked at the time. Ten minutes before six.

"Got done early," Garrus replied. "All the new stuff is in the skycar, but there so much of it. I'll have Kaidan help me sort them out once he gets here."

"Hopefully nothing that's considered perishables."

"Definitely not."

"And let me guess… you got mods and upgrades for our guns, right?"

"Not just our guns," Garrus mentioned as he went into the kitchen to place the bags on the counter. "You know that quite a handful of our neighbors own guns. Most of them purchased at least one during the Reaper war for protection."

"That's not surprising," Shepard said. "So, what about it?"

"Well, I got a message from Davidson, the committee leader, today. I've told him about my talents for calibrating guns and - what are you laughing at?"

Shepard shook her head, still grinning. "Nothing, go on."

Garrus sighed, though now he was smiling, too. "Anyway, he thought it would be a good idea to keep myself available for anyone who may need their guns fixed. I already got a few requests and how much it'll cost to get it done."

Shepard tilted her head at that. "So in other words, you got a new job."

Garrus shrugged. "I wouldn't really call it a job-"

"You're getting paid for it, what else do you call it?"

"Actually, I was offered money, but I haven't even named my price. Hell, I might not because I'd rather see their money spent on rebuilding the galaxy."

Shepard shrugged. "Well… my pension is helping us right now, but it won't last forever. Honestly, it wouldn't hurt to make extra money. Besides, if you're concerned about it, you can set it up to where a certain percent of the proceeds goes to helping with the recovery efforts. You earn yourself some profit while still helping out in another way."

Garrus gazed as her thoughtfully. "In that case, I guess I'll think about it."

That's when they heard someone knock on the front door.

"I'll get that," Garrus said as he walked over to the door. Upon opening the door, it took the turian a split second to recognize Kaidan. For as long as he's known the human, Kaidan was always in his Alliance uniform. Today, however, Kaidan wore his civilian clothes consisting of a brown sweater, blue jeans, and black shoes.

"Alenko."

"Vakarian."

Garrus grinned and put his hand out. "Welcome to our kingdom."

Kaidan chuckled at that as he shook his head. "Thanks. It's good to see you again. How are you?"

"I'm good." Garrus then stepped to the side. "Come on in."

Kaidan walked into the cabin, almost whistling at the sight of the cathedral ceiling in the living room. Then, his attention was turned as he saw Shepard just as she got herself on her feet.

"Hey Kaidan," Shepard said cheerfully.

Kaidan went over to her and they both shared a brief, friendly hug. "Hey Shepard," he replied. "How are you doing?"

Shepard pulled away from the hug. "Well aside from my legs, I'm doing fine."

"She's moving around more than the doctors at the hospital recommended," Garrus mentioned. "But she's doing much better these last two months."

"I'm surprised you didn't try to make a grand escape from the hospital during your whole stay," Kaidan said.

"Well had I thought about getting Garrus to calibrate a wheelchair to make it go as fast as the Mako, I would have."

Kaidan chuckled at that. "Now, _that_ I would have paid a year's worth of my salary to see."

Shepard raised an eyebrow at that as she folded her arms in front of her, one side of her lips pushed up in a smirk. "Why, so can jab me about my driving skills?"

Kaidan feigned innocence by raising both hands up to chest level. "No ma'am. And for the record, my life _never_ flashed before my eyes every time I stepped into the Mako."

"Uh huh."

Garrus decided to change the subject (mainly because he was trying all he could to not laugh). "Um, honey, why don't you go ahead and set the table for dinner. Kaidan, I have some stuff in the skycar that needs to be brought inside. If you're lucky, you might find some of that _Molson_ beer you like so much somewhere in the back of the trunk."

Kaidan laughed. "I think you planned this all along. All right, let's go."

Fifteen minutes later, Shepard, Garrus, and Kaidan sat around the small table in the kitchen digging into their respective meals. Shepard had to guess that the chore of bringing the supplies out of the car and into the house was done in record time since the beer Garrus got for Kaidan was on the table. Judging by the condensation on the outside of the bottle, Garrus had placed the bottles in a cooler to keep them cold.

For a few minutes, the only sound in the room was the scraping of utensils since the three of them found themselves pretty hungry. Eventually, Kaidan finished one of his steaks before speaking. "I haven't had a good steak like this since we went to Apollo's on the Citadel."

"Though I think it was the last of their supply judging by the quality at the time," Shepard mentioned.

"And the only alcoholic drink they had left was batarian shard wine if I remember you saying," Garrus said.

"Yup," Shepard said. "But it was expected considering the war."

"Have you two done a lot of cooking since you moved here?" Kaidan asked curiously.

"I mostly try the 'quick and easy' meals I find on the extranet," Shepard admitted. "It makes my life easier. Either that or I'm at least make a meal where I can throw together a few ingredients into a pan and make a casserole."

"That includes dextro meals," Garrus added.

"Hey, I'm still learning my way around it," Shepard said. "Just don't expect me to host an all-turian dinner banquet anytime soon."

"Well, the place you got this from is pretty good," Kaidan mentioned.

The biotic's eyes lit up as though he just thought of something. "Hey, the other day when I was at the docking port in Vancouver, guess who I ran into?"

Shepard sighed. "You know I hate guessing games."

"Then I'll guess," said Garrus. "The ghost of Nassana Dantius."

"Oh jeez," Shepard breathed as she put a hand over her face.

"What?" Garrus shrugged. "We're never going to guess anyway, so we might as well have fun with it."

Shepard sighed. "Rolan Quarn."

Kaidan raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Nevermind," said Garrus. "Matriarch Aethyta."

"Nope."

"Sha'ira the Consort?" guessed Shepard

"If it helps, it's not an asari," Kaidan mentioned.

"Well that leaves out Liara and Samara," said Garrus.

"Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani," Shepard groaned.

Kaidan pointed. "You are correct!"

"And I can't believe you remembered her full named," Garrus mentioned.

Shepard shook her head. "She's said it every time she introduced herself, so it's kind of hard not to."

"So you ran into her," Garrus said. "I assume she wanted an interview."

"Sort of," Kaidan replied. "Apparently, Westurland News is trying to find out your whereabouts."

Shepard shook her head, almost wanting to let her head drop onto the table. "Great… this was what I feared."

"I can only imagine," Kaidan said. "And you know… now I can understand the temptation to punch al-Jilani."

"That reminds me," Garrus spoke up as he turned to Shepard. "Is it true that Liara has a large collection of vids of al-Jilani being punched by those she's tried to interview?"

Shepard laughed. "Yes she does."

"Huh," Kaidan breathed. "I'm surprised she didn't die from multiple concussions by now."

Shepard smirked. "She is thick-headed after all."

That got a laugh from Garrus. "That wouldn't surprise me if that was true."

"There was this one vid where a krogan punched her. I don't know why but… I was left disappointed after that."

"Why is that?" asked Kaidan.

Shepard took a sip of her water before replying. "The vid lacked a good head-butt."

"I'm surprised you didn't do that in the past few years," Garrus said.

"… She didn't deserve that 'honor' coming from me."

"Fair enough."

"Head-butting, huh?" Kaidan said, not sure what that was about.

"When we were stuck with Cerberus," Garrus explained. "Shepard once got annoyed with this krogan while we were on Tuchanka and gave him a good head-butt."

"Ouch," Kaidan groaned, rubbing his forehead at the thought. "How did you feel after that?"

"A little rattled, but I was still standing," Shepard answered.

"Are you kidding?" Garrus spoke up. "You had a bruise on your head along with a mild concussion!"

Shepard grinned. "But you have to admit, it was worth it to see him all, 'you-you dare!'"

That story led to more antics on Tuchanka, though it wasn't much. Kaidan especially had a good laugh as he tried to imagine an adolescent krogan in Omega having friends buy him a few dances in celebration of entering adulthood.

Soon, Kaidan ended up asking Shepard something that was on his mind since he walked into the house. "Hey, so I understand you're on medical leave from the Alliance."

Shepard took a deep breath as she nodded. "Yeah. At the moment, I'm doing physical therapy. I did see one doctor who Dr. Chakwas recommended, but I'm thinking it might be worth it to go to Geneva to see Dr. Michel, at least until Dr. Chakwas comes back from the Council's galaxy tour."

"Geneva's pretty far, but if anything, Dr. Michel's good," Kaidan mentioned. "She was the one overseeing my care when I was in the hospital at the beginning of the war."

"I remember," Shepard said. "Whenever I visited Huerta Memorial, I usually ran into her and we would talk for a bit."

"I did speak to her not too long ago. Her brother had survived, but her parents perished as far as they know since she hasn't heard from them. They're both helping out in Geneva anyway they can."

"I imagine most towns and cities are doing the same," Garrus guessed.

"She did ask me about the two of you," Kaidan brought up. "At the time, you were still recovering at the hospital."

"I bet she mentioned Garrus a lot…" Shepard said.

Kaidan laughed. "As a matter of fact, Garrus, Dr. Michel said something about how she hoped you enjoyed the chocolates she gave you."

"I did," Garrus said. "Tali liked them too."

"If I didn't know better, Garrus, I think Dr. Michel has a cr-"

"_Anyway!_" Shepard called out. "As I was saying, I may take the trip to see her and see what she thinks about my recovery."

"She'll be happy to see you, I'm sure," Kaidan said. "And speaking of recovery… how is yours going?"

Shepard sighed again. "Well… the physical therapy and all that is a pain in the ass and it's going slower than I want it to."

"I imagine you want to get back out there into the fight," Kaidan guessed.

Shepard nodded. "At times, yeah, but hopefully the work in this town will keep me busy once they have something for me to do."

"I know that feeling. I felt restless myself when I was at Huerta."

Shepard smirked. "Now you understand why I hate hospitals."

"Everybody hates hospitals," Kaidan pointed out. "Unless you're a medical doctor of course."

"Hey since you're here Kaidan, did you want to watch a movie?" Garrus offered.

"Hmm, I was thinking about how I wanted to see _We Meet Again, Doctor Fear_ for a while."

"Ugh, I just saw that movie right before you came here!" Shepard groaned.

"Was it any good?"

"It was a tad cheesy, but there were quite a few parts that were pretty funny."

After debating on what movie to see, the three of them eventually settled on an asari film called _Dark Goddess_. The movie was bit long and dragged on a bit without much happening. By the time the credits rolled and Garrus turned the lights on, Shepard was curled up on the couch and had fallen asleep on her side.

Garrus quietly told Kaidan to grab them a couple of beers and meet him on the front porch. While Kaidan did that, Garrus grabbed a blanket from his bedroom, went back to the living room and carefully covered Shepard with it. He looked at her for a moment before briefly nuzzling his mouthplates on her temple before straightening up and headed outside.

Kaidan was already sitting on a chair, an open bottle of beer in hand as he overlooked the small field in front of them. By then, the sun had set and the stars that were seen were gleaming above.

Kaidan had set Garrus' beer on the table that sat between the two chairs and the turian settled onto the spare one before grabbing the bottle and opening it.

"I think you two had the right idea about getting an isolated place," Kaidan brought up.

"Well," Garrus replied with a shrug. "It's not _that_ isolated. Most of those in town know who we are, but so far, they've been good about not telling some news place about our location. I can only hope that that kind of luck will continue to hold."

Kaidan nodded. "I didn't want to say anything in front of Shepard, but I heard what happened with XLSixteen…"

Garrus sighed at that. "Yeah… that was a rough week."

"And then Westerlund News has a reward for information leading to her current location…"

Garrus shook his head at that. "They might as well treat her like a criminal the way they're going after her…"

"Thus my earlier temptation to punch al-Jilani," Kaidan said. "By the way, I told them that you both went away to help with clean-up near the Perseus Veil after the XLSixteen incident. That'll keep them far away for a bit."

Garrus nodded. "Appreciate it."

Kaidan took a long sip of his beer before asking another question that was on his mind for a bit. "How is Shepard… really?"

Garrus found himself staring down at his own feet. "She wasn't kidding about how she feels about how slow her recovery is. She's frustrated about her injuries as well. The physical therapy is helping, but… we all think it's going to be a while before there's a big improvement, if ever."

"So… there's a chance that she might not, well… be back on active duty again."

Garrus shook his head. Not wanting to take the conversation on this path, he decided to steer it. "However… I have a small feeling that she is enjoying the peace she's been given since the war ended." He laughed a little. "Just don't expect her to admit it."

"That wouldn't surprise me," Kaidan said.

There was another pause as the two men took another sip of their beer before Kaidan spoke again. "Garrus."

"Yeah?"

"… I'm glad you're here for her. To be honest… when I think about it, I don't think I'd be able to… provide the same kind of care for her with everything the Council's having me do these days."

"You would have found a way if you could, believe me," Garrus said.

"Maybe."

"Well… I guess I was just lucky to have worked closely with the Primarch. He knew I wanted to stay with Shepard, so he worked out a way for me to stay here to help the turians refugees on Earth."

Kaidan smirked. "That or Shepard would have used her spectre authority somehow."

"Luckily that wasn't necessary. But you're a spectre too, Kaidan."

Kaidan let out a sound that was similar to a laugh. "Okay, maybe I would have used my spectre status… maybe."

Garrus' mandibles flared into a grin. "See, you would have figured out a way."

Kaidan cleared his throat. "Either way… I'm glad you're here for her. I believe that even if her recovery doesn't work out the way she wants it too, as long as you're by her side, she'll be all right. Even when she was with Ceberus, you've always had her six. I can't think of anyone else who can be there for her more than you. "

Garrus nodded. "I appreciate the thought."

For a while afterwards, the two sat in contented silence.


	6. Small Reminiscences

**A/N: This chapter will contain ****spoilers**** for the Citadel DLC, though nothing too major.**

* * *

**Chapter Six – Small Reminiscences**

One sunny day just after noon, Garrus came home with more than Shepard had expected to him to. He originally went out to buy the grill he had been interested in buying ever since they moved to this cabin just over two months ago. With summer coming up, many of the stores still in operations after the war began their soon-to-be-summer sale events. The minute he saw the grill he wanted on sale, Garrus took the opportunity.

Shepard had to chuckle when he made a dash for the front door, only stopping to give her a brief kiss. "I'll be back!" he called out as he went outside.

"I'm sure that grill's not going to be out of stock, so don't rush!" Shepard advised just before he closed the door (at least he remembered to do that).

For a few minutes after that, Shepard was wondering what made her turian lover so excited about buying a simple grill. Then she realized… it was an excuse for him to calibrate the hell out of another piece of equipment to see how much more effective it'll operate.

With that in mind, Shepard had to hope for one thing… that he doesn't calibrate the grill to his likings so much that they wouldn't be able to use it for the whole summer. Shepard had to chuckle at the thought because, honestly, it would not surprise her. Even now, he was still trying to get the skycar to work at optimum capacity… even though he bought the vehicle brand new just three months ago.

Garrus came home two hours later. Shepard had heard the car pull up to the driveway, so she slowly got up and made it to the door almost a minute later. Upon opening it, she leaned herself against the door frame just as he approached the passenger side of the skycar. From her viewpoint, she could tell that he packed in more than one box into the car.

Garrus grinned upon seeing Shepard at the door. "Hey, sorry it took so long!" he called out as he started getting a box out that was sitting on the front passenger seat.

Shepard shook her head despite the smirk that crept upon her lips. "I wonder why."

"Well I realized that there were a couple of other things I thought we could use," he explained as he placed the box on the front lawn… the grill, Shepard realized upon seeing the picture. "There's a lot less than what it looks like in the car."

"Now you have me curious," Shepard said as she moved to sit down on one of the wicker chairs on the front porch.

She watched Garrus pull out two large sky blue cushions that looked like they belonged to lawn chairs. Shepard guessed that the two boxes sitting in the back seat were the lawn chairs that the cushions will be placed on. When he went reach into the back seat, she thought that he would be grabbing the chairs, but instead, he got an elongated box that was lying across the car floor behind the front seats.

"Geez Vakarian, what did you buy?" she called out while raising an eyebrow.

"Something I think you'll love," he said, and she could just hear a trill of excitement in his subharmonics as he began to approach her with the elongated box. To think she had expected him to act like this over the grill he was eager to buy just a few hours ago. Whatever this was, it was definitely worth the money.

"Well, I noticed the lawn chairs, the cushions, and the grill you were thrilled about a few hours ago. What's in the other box?" she asked.

"Something I've been meaning to buy when we moved here," Garrus said as he set the box down in front of her. He turned it so that she can see the picture of what he brought. Her eyes beamed and her smirk turned into a grin.

"You got a target machine!" she asked. Now he understood his excitement because she was feeling the same way upon seeing it.

"It's one of those ones that shoot out clay to be used for target practice," Garrus replied. "There are about 300 clays included in this box and I have two more separate stacks in the trunk." His mandibles spread into a grin. "I was thinking we could spend the afternoon doing target practice. What do you say?"

"Hell yeah!" Shepard agreed enthusiastically.

It took about twenty minutes to set up. It turned out that the lawn chairs were purchased for the purpose of their target practice so that Shepard didn't have to stand the whole time. He stretched out the chairs and while he set up the target machine, Shepard tied the cushions onto the lawn chair.

"You sure this fabric will withstand the punishment of your rough hide?" she asked.

"Yeah, the kind of upholstery on them is thick enough for accidental scratches. Now if I decided to purposely scratch it with my talon, that's a whole other story."

Shepard chuckled. "Like a cat."

"A what?"

"Small domestic animal humans can own. They're known to scratch up furniture."

"Why?"

Shepard shrugged. "Hell if I know. I've never owned one before."

Garrus straightened himself up after messing with the target machine. "That's all set and ready to go. I'll go get our guns. Any you want in particular?"

"Surprise me," Shepard replied as she began to read the machine's manual.

A few minutes later, Garrus came back with two M-92 Mantis sniper rifles. She took her rifle from him before he set down a box of slugs next to each lawn chair. He sat down and they both began to load their rifles.

"Okay, I was thinking we set this thing up to shoot every two minutes to start," he started to explain.

Shepard smirked. "Every two minutes? Are you out of practice, Vakarian?"

"No," Garrus said with a click of his mandibles. "Just… making things more fair."

If anyone else had said that, Shepard would have been offended. The truth was that this was the first time she held a gun with the intention to actually use it rather than to organize or clean. The last time she held a loaded gun was in London… no, on the Citadel when-

Shepard barely shook her head to get the dark memories out of her mind. Just in time too because Garrus apparently noticed her long pause and he was beginning to turn to look at her. She managed to give him a faux exasperated look. "Uh huh," she managed to say.

Garrus grinned again. "How about a bet?"

Shepard smirked. "Whoever misses the shot first has to buy the other a drink at that local bar we haven't been to yet."

Garrus chuckled as he adjusted his rifle's scope to his likings. "You're on. At least they serve dextro drinks there, even if it's not danorian."

"Say, do you still have those kill counts on record?" she asked curiously.

Garrus took a moment to scroll through some information on his kuwashii visor. "Let's see… ah, there we go. It's still pretty close… I'm six counts ahead."

"Really?" Shepard called out. "I could've sworn I was ahead of you!"

Garrus grinned even more. "It would've been five ahead for me if you hadn't missed back on our date on top of the Presidium."

"I told you, I missed on purpose."

Garrus exhaled a sigh she knew he made loud on purpose. "Still as prideful as ever. By the way, what's that human saying… ladies first?"

"Such a gentleman," Shepard replied with mirth.

Garrus started up the machine. Thirty seconds later, the first clay shot out and headed towards the lake in front of them. Shepard took aim before pulling the trigger. The slug managed to hit the clay, causing it to disintegrate over the water.

Shepard smiled. "Nice to see I still got it nearly a year later."

With the two minute countdown in place, it did give the couple a chance to talk in between shots. Shepard happened to look up towards the clear blue sky. Within a few hours just before the sun set, one would see the glimpse of the broken Citadel moving around Earth's orbit. She knew that it couldn't be moved back to the Serpent Nebula right now because doing so would cause even more damage to the station. She was at least thankful that the station only showed up mostly at night… unless the light from the moon gleamed on it, it was hard to see it in the darkened sky. She didn't want any reminders right now…

"Have you… heard anything recent about the Citadel's progress… after…" she tried to mention.

Garrus caught what she was trying to say. "I heard a rumor just this morning when I was talking to Victus. It's possible that people might be let back on Shalta Ward very soon, perhaps right after the anniversary…"

"That soon?"

Garrus nodded. "It suffered the least damage after the Crucible blast… but don't take my word for it. It's just rumors."

The target machine went off and Garrus took the shot. Just like the last clay, it disintegrated over the lake.

"How is he?" Shepard asked concerning the turian Primarch.

"Going stir crazy, but 'it could be worse,' he said," Garrus replied. "He mentioned wanting us both to come to Palaven to visit whenever you're feeling up to it."

A soft smile came over Shepard's lips. "First your dad and sister, now Victus. Maybe after the… anniversary of defeating the reapers is over, we'll go."

Garrus nodded. "It is long overdue, isn't it?"

"Yeah… besides, you need to finally meet your sister's… boyfriend? Mate?"

"Mate," Garrus corrected. "Bondmate once they're married. I finally found out his name… Xarius Anagnos. He's from Digeris, respectable family, was an XO for the dreadnought he served on during the war. It was the same dreadnought my father and sister managed to get on after they escaped Palaven. That's how they met."

"Do you think they'll get married?" Shepard asked.

"Not sure, though Dad hinted that he wants her to."

"Sounds like he likes this Xarius," Shepard added.

Garrus smiled. "Can't imagine why… he is high ranking official with a good background. As far as I can guess, he's also a by-the-books kind of guy."

Shepard chuckled. "That wouldn't surprise me."

Her small smile soon faded as she thought back on the Citadel. "I wonder what became of Anderson's apartment…"

"As I recall, he gave it to you," Garrus reminded her.

"Yeah, but… I didn't have it for very long, so I can't really consider it my own."

Garrus nodded in understanding. "Do you think you might want to go back once Zakera Ward is up and running again?"

Shepard found herself looking up towards the sky as though she was thinking over it. Garrus briefly looked at the timer on the target machine and saw that she had about forty-five seconds before her turn came up.

After a long pause, Shepard took a deep breath. "Maybe. I guess I'll have to see how I feel once I'm actually there."

Garrus decided to turn the conversation to something a little more lighthearted. "And maybe once the Presidium is up and running again, we can have another date there."

He felt good upon seeing her smile. She shifted her eyes to him without turning her head. That was when the machine went off. Without hesitation, Shepard aimed her gun, took a deep breath, and fired. Once more, she hit the target.

"And maybe after that," she continued. "We can go to the same hotel we stayed at that night."

Garrus chuckled. "Maybe we'll even get the same suite like last time."

She didn't laugh back, but her smile was there. He heard her take another deep breath before saying her next words. "You know… it does help to talk about the better memories of the war… keeps one sane."

"Yeah," Garrus sighed, briefly looking down at the grass. They were quiet for a bit after that, at least until Garrus shot the next clay from the sky.

"You know… one day, we can get the whole gang back together for a reunion… once the galaxy's rebuilt of course," the turian suggested.

Shepard's smirk returned. "Yeah… that'll definitely be a while."

"But at least it'll be something to look forward to one of these days." That reminded him. "So… aside from Kaidan, Joker, EDI, and Dr. Chakwas, have you heard from anyone else lately?"

Shepard turned her head to him. "I know Liara's helping with getting Thessia back on its feet. Other than that, she's been hush-hush about her base of operations as a Shadow Broker. My guess is that she's trying to reorganize."

"That doesn't surprise me," Garrus said.

"Tali didn't have much to update as of last week," Shepard continued. "The quarians are still trying to find a way to get the geth back up… the politics in that has been hard to bypass, which isn't a surprise considering the past…"

Garrus nodded. "Yeah."

"But in the meantime, they are rebuilding Rannoch. No word on whether or not she started building that home with the window view in front of that lake."

Garrus laughed. "She would love to come visit here."

Shepard smiled more. "She would. Oh, and Traynor and Cortez went to help out in Vancouver with Vega. Adams, Donnelly, and Daniels went on that Council tour to maintain the Normandy engines."

"I just hope no one messes with the main battery," Garrus added.

Shepard chuckled. "I'll make sure you get clearance to come aboard once the Normandy returns to Earth. That way, you can make sure everything is up to your standards. As far as I know, I'm still a Spectre."

Garrus smiled. "Appreciate it."

Another piece of clay shot out, and Shepard hits the target the ease once more. As she leaned herself back, her eyes gazed over the lake, and Garrus didn't miss the ghost of a smile on her face.

"What's on your mind?" he asked curiously.

"Hmm," Shepard hummed. It was followed by a quiet laugh. "No, it's silly."

"Tell me," Garrus encouraged. Whatever was on her mind, it was something that was, well, silly as she said. He wanted nothing more than to talk about happier things. It helped with steering away the darker thoughts of their life as soldiers, even if it was only for a little while.

"Well…" Shepard started to say. "I was watching this old Earth movie the other day while you were in Syracuse called, _Grumpy Old Men_. I was just thinking how much the lake in the movie looks like this one in front of us."

Garrus tilted his head thoughtfully. "Maybe they used the same lake in the film?"

Shepard shook her head. "I don't think so. Anyway, you should see the movie one day. It's almost two-hundred years old so some things are a bit out of date, but overall, it's pretty funny."

Almost two-hundred years old? "How do your Earth films survive so long without today's galactic technology?"

Right after he said that, Garrus shot at another piece of clay. He had a feeling that this competition was going to go on for a while, but he didn't mind because right now, they were both enjoying themselves.

Shepard luckily had an immediate answer for that. "National Film Registry. They keep inducted movies well-preserved even after so long. Humans started making movies as early as the last decade of the nineteenth century. A lot of films between then and the early twentieth century were lost due to poor preservation. At least the later ones got a chance."

Garrus's brow plates were raised upwards, giving him a wide-eyed look. "I… didn't realize you were so into movie history."

Shepard laughed. "I didn't even know any of that until recently. I also realized how many movies I missed during my military years. Since I'm… out of commission right now, I've been taking the opportunity to catch up on what I missed. Already, I started building a preference."

That got Garrus curious. "What do you think of _Vaenia_?"

"Overrated."

"What?! Really?!"

Shepard grinned. "Yeah, I said it! I mean, those two actresses may have been pretty, but everything else about it bored me to tears."

"… You actually cried?"

"No! It's another human saying. It just means that I was _really_ bored."

"… You humans have really weird sayings."

"I should buy you a human phrases dictionary for you next birthday. Anyway, have you ever seen _Starless_?"

Garrus shook his head. "Actually, I haven't, though I heard it was interesting. What about _Fleet and Flotilla_?"

Shepard snorted. "I saw that with Tali at Anderson's apartment last year during our shore leave. It was okay… cheesy, but okay… I don't understand how it won awards… just don't her I said that."

"I heard that was her favorite movie."

Shepard smiled thoughtfully. "She didn't even have to say that for me to figure that out. She told me that day that she and her friends would watch it every time they had a sleepover and-"

As Shepard explained the story, the target machine let out another piece of clay. She stopped mid-sentence as she realized that the clay was hers to shoot. Raising her rifle, she attempted to aim, but just as she got it in her sights, the clay fell into the water, leaving a heavy splash behind.

"Damn it," she grumbled.

Garrus let out a cheer as he raised his arm up in victory. "I'm Garrus Vakarian and _this_ is now my favorite spot on Earth!"

Shepard nearly wanted to plant her face into the palm of her hand. Whether it was from missing or Garrus' victory yell, she hadn't decided yet. "Oh for the love of… I was distracted!"

Garrus laughed. "It looks like someone owes me a drink!"

"Yeah, yeah," Shepard grumbled again.

* * *

After they had dinner and once the sun set for the day, Garrus and Shepard headed over to the main part of town to try out the local bar they hadn't had the chance to check out yet. Compared to places like Chora's Den and Purgatory on the Citadel, King's had a much more relaxed atmosphere. It clearly catered to humans judging by its looks and music, but there were neon signs on the window that advertised dextro drinks. There was even a sign on the front door that said, 'Quarian friendly, inquire within.'

'_They must have sterilized drinks for them_,' Garrus guessed. '_I bet Tali would love this place_.'

It didn't surprise Shepard that the customer's warmly greeted her and Garrus the minute they walked in. They got themselves a table in a quiet corner (well, at quiet as it could get with the human music blasting). They barely sat down when the owner approached them and offered the first round on the house.

Shepard thanked him before saying, "I'll buy the next round for everyone here."

The owner yelled out to the room. "Hey everyone! Next round of drinks are on Commander Shepard!"

Everyone whooped and hollered at that and some yelled out their thanks. Garrus smiled at her once it was calm again. "Why did you do that?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I thought it was fair," Shepard explained. "I get the first round free, and they get the next one on me. I figured that made us all even."

"Fair enough," he nodded.

"I thought so."

It didn't take long for the owner to bring their drinks to their table. Shepard smiled. "The third round's on me, big guy. That's what I owe you from our contest."

"First it was too windy, now you were distracted," Garrus pointed out playfully. "What kind of excuse will you come up with next?"

Shepard narrowed her eyes, but she still kept her smile. Seeing that made him feel his chest warm up… she was smiling a lot today, more than the first three years he had known her combined, he realized. He didn't expect something like this every day, but he can only hope that it happened much more often for a long time.

"I can't wait to see what excuse you come up with the day you finally miss a shot," she retorted.

He leaned back against his chair, and she swore that he was giving her smug look. "Garrus Vakarian _never_ misses a shot, remember?"

"Uh huh," Shepard hummed.

"So… for this first round of drinks, is there anything you want to toast?"

Shepard looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully before one toast came to her. "To a better galaxy."

"I'll drink to that." Their bottles clinked together and they both brought them to their mouths.

Shepard's bottle barely grazed her lips when she happened to look over at a space in the bar nearby. She realized quickly that the space served as a dance floor. Shepard found herself staring at the various groups having a good time. There were mostly humans and some were in groups dancing together, but it wasn't hard to miss the couples who were dancing. Once again, mostly human, but there were other couples as well… the turian couple she knew as the owners of the dextro market down the street (at the moment, she couldn't remember their names), a female human with a male salarian (that was a fairly common pairing she saw back on the Citadel), and even an asari with a male quarian (that was new to her).

If there was one good thing about seeing all of this, it's that it reminded Shepard of one of the things she fought for… to give people like the ones in this bar a chance to enjoy life as it should be without worry about whether or not there was ever going to be a tomorrow.

The current dull ache in her legs, however, reminded her of some of the sacrifices she made for that tomorrow to happen.

Garrus had finished sipping his drink and upon placing the bottle on the table, he became concerned once he noticed the far-away look in Shepard's eyes. "Shepard?" he questioned with worry, unsure of whether or not her mind slipped to a flashback.

Shepard, although she heard him, didn't turn her head as she continued to look at the dance floor. "I was just thinking… well… there are good memories, like the ones we talked about today… and there are things that were part of those memories that you realize you may never do again…"

Garrus noticed that she had been staring at something, so he turned his head to see what she was looking at. Upon seeing the dancers, he realized that one thing she may never do again… dancing. For a brief moment, his mind flashed to that one night on the Citadel at the Silvercoast Casino when he put his tango lessons (courtesy of Vega) to good use. Shepard was a disaster when it came to dancing, but she got the idea of tangoing that night as he led her. It was an evening they would always treasure.

His heart ached at the realization of knowing that another tango was not in the near future for them, if ever.

As he turned to her, Shepard seemed to shrug her thoughts away. "Well… I was a disaster when it came to dancing anyway."

At that moment, the music changed to something much more slow-paced. An idea came to the turian then. No, there would be no tango, but slow dancing was still an option.

Garrus stood up and took her hand. "Come on, there are other ways we can dance."

Shepard had been in the middle of trying to sip her drink, but she didn't even have the chance to actually taste the alcohol before he took her hand. She gave him a wide-eyed look. "What are you doing?"

Garrus laughed and decided to repeat some words he said the last time she asked him that. "It'll be fun," he said as he pulled her up to her feet.

At first, Shepard was sure that Garrus had it in mind to take her to the dance floor. Instead, he moved them a couple of feet away from the table to give them some space. He wrapped one arm around her waist, his hand resting on her lower back. The other took a hold of her hand before raising them up to her shoulder level (and chest level for him). He then pulled her closer and she rested her head on his chest with him placing his chin on top of her head.

For a while, they swayed side to side in a slow pace, not even bothering to follow the rhythm of the song playing in the background. In this moment, they were simply enjoying the presence of one another.

Shepard breathed a soft laugh at one point. "No quip about my bad dancing?"

"Hmm, not this time," Garrus replied. Shepard noticed how soft his voice was when he said that and she knew that he was deep in thought.

She looked up at him knowingly. He looked at her and before she had the chance to say anything, he spoke. "I know I don't say this much, but…" he crooned. "I love you."

In reply, she nuzzled her forehead into the side of his neck. "I love you, too. And… thank you… for sticking around and putting up with me while I recover."

She felt Garrus' hand gently rub her lower back as he brought her closer to him. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

* * *

**A/N: As of this writing, Grumpy Old Men is actually not in the National Film Registry, but I'm going to take a wild guess and believe that it will be in the near future.**


	7. The Black Creature

**A/N: And now, a chapter filled with fluff… literally.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven – The Black Creature**

Early in the morning, Garrus took the opportunity to go get some groceries since the food supply was running a little low. It was mostly essential ingredients and drinks, so he didn't plan to buy a lot.

Last night had been a long one, mainly for Shepard, who woke up a couple of times during the night in a cold sweat after having a nightmare. He tried to get her to tell him what the nightmare was about, but Shepard only said, 'the usual with the dark trees.' He didn't push any further.

As a turian, Garrus didn't need as much sleep as humans, so it was nearly a routine that he would be the first one up. Sometimes, he would stay in bed with Shepard until she was up. Other times, like today, he would go about his errands and let her sleep as long as she needed. He knew she would need it after last night. Before leaving, Garrus left a small note on Shepard's nightstand letting her know that he would be back.

When he returned home, Shepard was awake. She sat in the living room on the armchair and was playing around with her omni-tool. She still looked tired judging by the dark circles around her eyes, but Garrus was surprised to see the small smirk on her face as she stared at the screen lit up by her omni-tool.

"Hey," Garrus said to get her attention.

Shepard looked up and the smirk on her face widened. "Hey. Did you remember to get some maple syrup?"

Garrus looked down at the bags he was carrying. "I got syrup, but I can't remember if I got maple or not."

"Well hopefully it's just generic syrup for pancakes and not strawberry or something. I've been craving pancakes all morning."

On her omni-tool, Shepard brought up a picture to show to Garrus. "Look at what I ordered just a few minutes ago."

Garrus squinted his eyes as he tried to figure out what it was. It looked like the large, black pot that Shepard sometimes used when she attempted to make soup, but the front it clearly had buttons and a digital timer on the front of it. "Is it like some fancy pot for the stove?"

"It's not really a pot," Shepard explained. "It's a slow cooker."

Garrus walked off into the kitchen to set the bags down on the counter. "A slow cooker?"

"Yeah. So instead of spending time trying to cook a meal and standing in front of a hot stove, now all you have to do is throw a bunch of ingredients in the pot with you meat first thing in the morning, and then you set the timer to cook all day."

Garrus raised his brow ridge at that as he started putting the groceries away. "Why would you want something that cooks all day when you can just make the meal in so much less time in the evening?"

"Because all you have to worry about is getting everything together and setting the timer. It only takes a few minutes to do. Then, you can enjoy the rest of the day and when it's finally dinner time, you just take it out and serve. It also cuts down on the amount of dishes you would normally use for stove-cooked meals, and it's especially good for busy schedules. And the great part is that it doesn't burn the food as easily because it cooks, well, slowly."

Garrus could understand her decision to buy one. Although she does have a couple of tall stools for both the counter and for the front of the stove, having a slow cooker would definitely give her much less stress on her legs.

Shepard leaned back into her chair. "Now life just got easier."

Garrus chuckled at that. "I thought you don't like easy."

"Not when it comes to cooking and dishes! Did I ever tell you how much I hate cleaning dishes?"

"Good thing we have a dishwasher then," Garrus reminded her. "My old apartment didn't even have one, so all dish cleaning was done by hand."

"Yeah, same with mine in my early military days," Shepard mentioned. "It always dried out my hands even when I wore gloves."

Soon, Garrus was done with putting away groceries (and it turned out he really did get maple syrup) before joining Shepard, sitting on the part of the couch closest to her. "You know… if I didn't know better, I think you're getting used to this domestic lifestyle."

Shepard let out a small laugh. "Well… to be honest, it's a little more overwhelming than it looks. Changing from one lifestyle to another doesn't happen overnight… but I do enjoy the peace it's given me for now."

"Yeah," Garrus sighed. Then, his eyes widened a bit as he remembered something. "Hey, I've been meaning to mention this for a while. For the past month, every time I went into town, the strangest thing would happen."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Shepard questions with a curious glance.

Garrus wasn't sure how to explain it really, but he decided to try the best he could. "Well, like today, the whole time I was in town, this strange, black creature just kept following me around."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Black creature?"

"Yeah. Couldn't be taller than my ankle, well, maybe taller than that, I can't remember at the moment. But the entire time until I left to come home, it would walk maybe between five to ten feet behind me just… staring at me or something. Normally, I would say it was fascinated by my own species since this is a most-human town, but the thing is, I'm not the only turian around this part of Earth."

"Can you describe this… black creature?" Shepard asked.

"Let's see… it had a long tail that would flick once in a while-"

"It didn't have white stripes on its back and head, did it?" Shepard asked suddenly.

Garrus stared at her for a moment, a bit taken aback by her sudden outburst. "No, or else I would've mentioned it was black and white instead. Why?"

"Okay, if you ever see one and it has a REALLY strong fowl musk that's similar to burnt rubber, _stay away_. They're called skunks and they release that same stench if you get too close. You have to take special measures to get the smell off of you and then you'll be surrounded by that smell for days."

"I'll… try to remember that," Garrus said. "Anyway, the creature I saw had these yellow eyes that kind of reminded me of a female turian. And once in a while, it would open its mouth and make this really strange noise."

Shepard was curious now. "What kind of noise?"

"I don't know, like…" Garrus tried to think, but he was coming up blank. "I don't know."

Shepard suddenly smirked. "Oh come on, I'm sure you remember that noise. Just… try to make that sound. I guarantee it would help me identify what you saw."

"Shepard… I am not going to try to sound like that thing I saw today. And to be frank, I forgot."

"Sure," Shepard teased.

"Now, about that slow cooker…" Garrus started to say, deciding to change the subject.

"I ordered two since it was on special," Shepard mentioned. "One for my meals and one for yours, then they can be cooked at the same time."

"Makes it easier, huh?"

"Heck yeah."

* * *

Two days later, Garrus went a mile down the road to drop off a newly modded rifle to his 'next-door' neighbor. A few days ago, when he and Shepard went to the town bar after their shooting contest, Shepard mentioned seeing an asari and a male quarian couple in the bar since it was pairing neither of them had ever seen until then.

Turned out the couple was their 'next-door' neighbor. When they came over to the cabin to place their order, Shepard asked them their story;

Meela Ganba was a civilian medical student who was born and raised on the Citadel, an outcast as a child because she was a pureblood. Her father was a commando who died during the fight against Sovereign. Her mother, a shopkeeper on Tayseri Ward, didn't make it off the Citadel before Cerberus had taken over the station. As far as she knew, her mother had died on that ward.

Her bondmate of less than a year was Trey'Ganba vas Earth nar Tesleya, who was on his pilgrimage at the time the war started. Like Meela, Trey was an outcast even before his ventured onto to the Citadel due to his sympathy for the geth. Despite the galaxy-wide call for all quarian pilgrims to return to the Migrant Fleet, Trey remained on the Citadel feeling that he would be more help to the refugees there.

The two met and fell in love in the camps. After Thessia's fall, Meela and Trey were asked to take the shuttles up to the ships to see to the refugees there since there was pretty much no more room left on the Citadel. There were both on a commando ship when the Citadel was taken over. They were on the same commando ship as it rushed to assist Earth.

Needless to say, they both survived, but like everyone still in the Sol system in the aftermath, they were stranded. The two made the best of things before a friend of Meela's recommended settling in this town rather than stay at the camps. Meela had decided to take the offer more for Trey's health (although nothing was wrong, she still had concerns). The two married in an asari bonding ceremony not long after.

The couple was a little shy when Garrus and Shepard first met them, but Shepard always had a way of making people warm up to her, so by the end of the conversation, Meela and Trey found that they could talk to the two heroes easily even after feeling a little intimidated when they first approached the house.

It was Meela who greeted Garrus at the door, a smile upon her violet face after she opened the door. "Hi Garrus," she greeted.

"Hey Meela," Garrus replied. He raised the case up into view that contained Meela's rifle. "The mods are in and your gun is ready to go."

"Great, thank you!" Meela said excitedly as she took the case into her hand. "How much do I owe you?"

"Let's see, you already put down the down payment so all you owe is one hundred credits. Remember, 25% of the proceeds go in helping with the recovery efforts."

Meela smiled at the reminder. "I have the credit chit on my desk, just give me a moment." With that, she went inside her house to retrieve the money.

She had left the door open, but despite that, Garrus stayed on the porch. For one thing, she didn't necessarily invite him in so he thought it would've been rude anyway. Plus he wasn't sure what kind of living requirements Trey needed (though he guessed there was at least one clean room somewhere inside), so the last thing he wanted to do was to bring in any unnecessary germs into the house.

With his mind somewhere else, the same sound he remembered from two days ago in town startled Garrus with a small jump. He turned around and, at first, he thought he was imagining it… then he looked down. Standing a few feet away at the edge of the porch stairs was the same black creature that has been following him around for a while. It was sitting down with its long tail flicking a little behind his back

Garrus tilted his head at it. "What do you want?" he asked even though he was pretty sure it wouldn't reply.

"Here's your credit," Meela said as she stepped through the door behind him. She stopped for a moment as she noticed him staring at something. When the asari turned to see what he was looking at, she couldn't help but grin.

"Ah, I see you've met the town cat," she said with a chuckle.

Garrus looked at her with confusion. "Is that what it's called? A town cat?"

"Well, just cat actually," Meela explained. "We only call him the town cat because he's been seen roaming around here for the past few months, specifically after the war. He's usually pretty shy unless you give him food."

"Do you give him food?"

"Sometimes, but the thing is… I'm only standing here with a credit chit and I actually don't have any food to give him right now." She had to smile at the turian next to her. "So… I'm finding it fascinating that he's taken an interest in you."

"And why would he?" Garrus asked curiously.

Meela can only shrug. "As the humans say… beats me."

That was when Garrus felt something against his legs. He looked down and was surprised to see the cat brushing himself against his legs. He could only stare as it moved around his feet. The cat would brush against a leg, look up for a moment, then do it again. At the same time, Garrus would hear a strange noise coming from the cat that reminded him of a motor.

Meela chuckled at the site. "Yeah, I think he likes you," she said just as the cat propped its front paws onto Garrus' leg spur, his golden eyes staring up again.

After a moment, Garrus turned to Meela. "I should go, but if you have any questions or concerns about the upgrades, let me know."

"I will thank you. Have a good day, Garrus."

"You too, Meela. And tell Trey I said hello."

With that, Garrus headed back to the sky car. Once he reached the door, he was curious and turned around. He wasn't surprised to see that the cat followed him.

He went into the driver seat and closed the door. The cat no longer followed and was now sitting a few feet away from the vehicle. Once again, his golden eyes stared until Garrus left the premises.

A few minutes later, he was back at the cabin. On the front door was a large package and Garrus realized that the slow cookers Shepard ordered was here. '_She must've got the fastest shipping,_' Garrus thought as he picked up the box before going inside.

"How heavy are these things?" Garrus called out after noticing Shepard watching the news in the living room.

Shepard turned her head after shutting the TV off. "I ordered two, so their combined weight would do that."

Garrus went into the kitchen to drop the box onto the table before taking out a knife to cut the packaging tape. Once he got it open, Shepard joined him in the kitchen to get a better look at her order.

"Hmm," Shepard hummed. "This reminds me… I need to go on a diet."

"What for?" Garrus asked confused.

"I'm getting fat," Shepard replied. "I know I needed to gain some weight after my time in the hospital, but you know I finally reached my ideal weight three months ago. Today, I went on the scale and noticed I've gained about eight pounds since then."

"First, remind me to throw that scale out of the closest airlock," Garrus said. "Second, so what if you did gain a few pounds? What was it Liara said to Wrex once… there's just more of the legend to love?"

Shepard lightly slapped Garrus' arm teasingly. "Flatterer."

Garrus then pulled her towards him before nuzzling his face into the side of the head. "I like, it actually. I was just thinking how much softer you've been lately."

"Don't get _too_ used to it," Shepard warned him. She then decided to change the subject. "So how's Trey and Meela?"

"Trey wasn't home, most likely working at the hospital," Garrus replied. "But Meela's doing well. She was happy to receive the upgrades."

"Good."

"Oh, and that black creature came back."

Shepard moved a bit to stare up at him. "The one you saw the other day?"

Garrus nodded. "Meela told me it was a cat."

Shepard's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Hey, I was trying to describe it the other day."

"You've could've mentioned it having pointy ear, that would've been my ultimate clue."

"Well I changed the subject by then." Garrus took a moment to clear his throat. "Anyway, he actually came up to me-"

"He?"

"Meela kept saying the cat was a 'he.' Anyway, he would come up to me and rub against my ankles and was making this really weird motor noise."

"Sounds like he was purring," Shepard replied. "If I remember correctly, that's a good thing."

"I see," Garrus said. "He tried to follow me back to the car, and, well, that was pretty much it. By the way, do you have any idea why the cat would brush against my legs?"

Shepard shrugged. "No idea. I've never owned a cat in my life. All I know are the stereotypes."

"What kind of stereotypes?"

Shepard sat down on the chair at the kitchen table. "Let's see… they scratch on the furniture, they love chasing these little creatures called mice, they like to play with yarn, they love to eat fish, they don't get along with dogs, they always land on their feet when they fall, and they hate baths. That's just from the top of my head, but I'm sure there's more.

"That's quite a few stereotypes," Garrus replied. "And people can keep them as pets?"

"Yup. They can be either domesticated or feral. I think it depends on their environment or something like that."

As Garrus began to take out the first of the two slow cookers, Shepard had an idea. "Say, since we got these slow cookers now, I think it would be a good idea to buy some more meat from the market in the morning. I wouldn't mind starting up the first slow cooked meal once we get home."

Garrus shrugged. "Sure, we can do that."

* * *

The next morning, Shepard and Garrus went to both the levo and dextro market. Both stores were located just three doors down from each other. It was always easier to buy food when the both of them went together. They could carry more back to the house once they were back.

They first went to the dextro store and, after putting everything in the trunk, they went over to the levo store. At one point, Shepard was deciding on which brand of paper plates to buy. While he waited, Garrus looked on the other side and noticed the row of pet food judging by the pictures of different animals.

While Shepard was distracted, Garrus scanned the area and stopped once he saw a picture of a cat that looked similar to the one that was following him. He scanned the bag with his omni-tool to translate the words, making sure that it really was cat food. Then, without thinking about it, he picked up the bag

By then, Shepard had decided on what paper plates to get and was just putting it in the basket when Garrus put the bag he picked out right next to it. Shepard gave him a peculiar look.

"Garrus… you know that's cat food, not human food."

"I know."

"We don't have a cat."

"I know."

Shepard grinned suddenly. "Is that for that cat who keeps following you around?"

"Um… maybe."

Shepard chuckled at that. "Okay, if you're going to get that, you might want to buy a bowl to store it in."

"Why not use the bowls we have at home?"

"Because I don't want to use those." Shepard went over to the pet accessories section where the pet dishes were kept. She eventually found one that was white with blue line drawings of cartoon-looking fishes. "Besides, these bowls are made specifically for cats. As a matter of fact, you'll need two… one for the food and one for water."

Garrus watched as Shepard picked up two identical bowls before placing it in the cat. "Well, all right then."

Later that night, Garrus found himself enjoying the best dextro dinner he had in a long time. Not that Shepard was that bad of a cook or anything, but there was something about a dextro meal in a slow cooker that made not only was the meat juicy, but made it fall off the bones with ease. Afterwards, Garrus took the new cat dishes to the porch, filled them with the cat food and water, and then he went back inside for the night.

The next morning, the dishes were empty, but whether it was the black cat that had his dinner or some other animal (like that skunk Shepard mentioned), he wasn't sure. Either way, he went back inside with the dishes to clean them.

As the day began to turn to dusk, Garrus had just set the filled dishes on the porch again. The weather was pleasantly warm and contained a soft breeze, so Garrus decided to set on the wicker chair on the porch to enjoy it, taking a couple of uploaded datapads with him to read over. Meanwhile, Shepard was just setting up the sides for tonight's dinner to be cooked in the oven while the main meals cooked in the two slow cookers again.

Not even a half hour later after settling down, Garrus heard very light footsteps coming up the steps. He looked up from his datapad just in time to see the black cat making his way over to the filled dishes.

Garrus decided to watch him for a moment, putting the datapad down on the outdoor table next to him before leaning forward to get a better look. The cat slowly approached the two dishes. First, it seemed to sniff a bit at the food before switching over to the water. Eventually, he settled with the water and began to lap it up with his little pink tongue.

Cute was the only word the turian could think of at the moment. He was almost fascinated by how quickly the cat's tongue moved as he drank his water.

After a few minutes of this, the cat seemed to be finished with his water. Garrus had thought that he would move on to his food dish at this point. Instead, he happened to turn his head, staring at Garrus briefly before he approached the turian.

"Hey," Garrus said to the cat as it stopped in front of his feet. "You keep following me around. Usually when someone follows me, they want to kill me."

As though in reply, the cat approached him and began to brush itself on Garrus' legs, the motor - no - purring sounds being heard. At one point, the cat nudged his head into his calf just next to his spur.

Garrus then reached a hand and brushed his gloved fingers over the cat just between the shoulder blades. His fur felt almost similar to Shepard's, only much shorter and not as silky. Most likely, it was from lack of cleaning unless the fur was meant to be that way, he wasn't sure.

The cat noticed that he was being petted, so he moved so that Garrus ended up petting the top of the head. His purring became even louder.

"You like that?" Garrus asked him. This went on for about a minute before the cat came closer. Then, Garrus became startled as the cat suddenly jumped onto his lap.

"Whoa," he yelped, but soon relaxed once nothing else happened. The cat then stretched its front paws out to his chest before pulling up so that his golden eyes were nearly in Garrus' face.

Garrus chuckled as he began to pet the cat's back. "Well, hello to you too."

The cat sniffed at him before it suddenly became fascinated by the dropping ends of his mandibles. Picking the one on the right, the cat batted his paw at it a couple of times before he started to nip at it.

"Hey!" Garrus said with a laugh, both of his hands on the cat's back to make sure he didn't fall off. "That's not food!"

Then, the front door opened and Shepard stepped out. She was about to speak when she saw the view in front of her. She had to smile as the cat tried to play with Garrus' mandibles and, despite his protests, he couldn't help but laugh.

"So, that's your stalker, huh?" Shepard said as she folded her arms in front of her chest. "I'm almost jealous."

Garrus looked over at Shepard. "At least you don't think my mandibles are a toy."

Shepard could only shake her head, though the smile on her face remained. An idea came to her. "Hey, I want to try something. Come back inside, but leave the door open."

Garrus wasn't sure what she was thinking, but he decided to go along with it. "Okay." He started to lean forward to get up, and it seemed as though the cat took that as a sign to jump back down onto the porch. He then stared up at Garrus as he followed Shepard back into the house.

They only went as far as the living room and watched the front door. A couple of minutes later, the black cat began to slowly cross the threshold, sniffing around the air a bit

"Huh," Shepard said with interest. "I think this one really likes you. Usually, they're shy."

Garrus turned his head to her. "I thought you didn't know anything about cats except the stereotypes."

"Well… any cats I did meet always ran away from me. Their owners would always say, 'oh he's shy,' but I sometimes wonder if it's just me." She looked down at the cat that just began to walk in another foot into the house. "At least this one didn't run away from me… yet.

"Oh, by the way, could you close the bedroom door? I don't want him thinking that my hamster is his dinner."

Garrus chuckled. "Okay," he said before walking to the hallway.

That night until they went to bed, Shepard and Garrus kept the door open for their little visitor. However, the only time the cat left the house was to retrieve the food that was left outside. Garrus realized eventually that leaving it outside was unnecessary, so he brought the dishes in and closed the door.

That night, one window was left open wide enough for the cat to go through if he wanted out (and was rigged with a wire… if an intruder tried to open the window any more than an inch, the wire would snap and set off an alarm). By morning, the cat was gone, only leaving behind two empty dishes.

Shepard saw him jump through the window later that afternoon.

"Guess we have a new pet," she said to herself.

That night after dinner, Shepard and Garrus sat on the couch to watch a salarian stand-up comedy show. Five minutes into it, the cat jumped up on Garrus' lap, turning a bit before lying down, curling itself up into a ball of fur.

When a commercial came on, Shepard turned to look at the cat on her lover's lap. He was watching the commercial, but one hand was absentmindedly brushing a finger gently over the cat's head. The cat's eyes was half-closed, his purring indicated that he was enjoying himself.

"I have a theory about that cat," she suddenly said.

Garrus turned to stare at her. "What kind of theory?"

"I think his last owner was a turian."

Garrus' browridge rose up in reply. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, you told me before that he was usually shy around people unless there's food involved," Shepard explained. "And yet he's nothing like that when it comes to you. I was reading about the differences between domestic and feral cats and… this one's definitely domesticated or else he would've never even come near anyone."

"Hmm," Garrus hummed thoughtfully as he looked down at the ball of fur on his lap. "Meela did mention that he started showing up in the neighborhood after the war. I know some turians settled on Earth for one reason or another before the war, so you might be right that his last owner was a turian. Makes me wonder what happened to him."

Shepard shrugged. "Who knows… but if he's taken a liking to you so quickly, either his original owner looked similar to you, or you had a similar musk to him. That's where my main theory comes from."

"Either way," Garrus said. "He's our newest pet. Now for a name-"

"Felix," Shepard suddenly said with a chuckle.

Garrus stared up at her. "Felix?"

"Yeah, he looks like a Felix. And since he followed you here, I get to name him."

Garrus grinned as he shook his head. "Because that's just _so_ fair."

"Well, now that he's ours, we have to get him some cat stuff, find a vet for his healthcare, _and_ keep him out of the room so that he doesn't get to my hamster. That's a lot more work than it sounds, and since I'm home more… I get to name him."

Garrus raised a free hand in defeat. "Okay, okay, Felix it is."


	8. A Dark Time Not So Long Ago

**A/N: Just in case it confuses everyone, this particular chapter is mostly a flashback chapter that I had wanted to include back in Chapter 2.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight – A Dark Time Not So Long Ago**

**7 Months earlier and 4 Months after the end of the Reaper War**

**Toronto**

After what felt like a long shuttle ride from London, Steve Cortez finally landed at the coordinates Admiral Hackett had given him. He managed to land in a busy parking lot, getting the Kodiak as close as possible to the building that was in the coordinates.

There was no question as to how everyone was feeling right now. It had only been four months since the end of the Reaper War and the crew had only returned to Earth just hours ago. They were barely here for a half hour when Hackett informed the group of Shepard's survival (meanwhile, Garrus received a message from Miranda). It didn't take them long to decide to pay Shepard a visit.

Aside from Garrus and Cortez, there was also Joker, Tali, Liara, Kaidan, Vega, Traynor, and Dr. Chakwas. Cortez had noticed the missing presence of the Prothean Javik, and he didn't miss the worried look on Liara's face when she tried to look for him prior to their departure in London. Before they left, Liara had sent Javik a few messages, mainly telling him of Shepard's survival. They were going to see her but didn't want to leave without him. After twenty minutes, a reply came;

'_Leave without me. There is something that I must do. I have a promise to fulfill, one that cannot be abandoned now that the Reapers are dead. Tell the Commander that it has been an honor._'

The worried look was etched onto Liara's face upon reading that message. Still, despite her worries and what his message may indicate, she encouraged Cortez to head out.

On the way, there was some light banter here and there, mostly between Cortez and Joker over their piloting abilities. It seemed to have lightened the mood a little. However, once their crossed into the North American border, the air became suddenly heavy with both anticipation and anxiety.

Once they landed, Liara immediately sent a message to Miranda Lawson, letting her know that they had arrived. Unsurprising to anyone, Garrus was the first to get out of the shuttle, not bothering to see if the others were following as he headed to the make shift hospital ahead of him.

Just as he reached the entrance, the doors opened and Miranda stepped outside to greet them. She nodded upon seeing the turian. "Garrus."

"Miranda," he nodded back.

"It's good to see you," Miranda continued. "There a few things you need to know. I know you're eager to see after so long, but-"

"Four months to be exact," mentioned Vega once he caught up with Garrus.

Moments later, the others had caught up, all falling quiet as they prepared themselves to hear about their Commander. Briefly, Miranda looked over her surroundings making sure that strangers weren't close enough to hear what she was going to say.

"First of all, I made sure that all of you received clearance to see her. Not many in the galaxy know that she's alive. We're trying to keep it under wraps until we know that she'll pull through."

"What do you mean 'pull through?'" asked Garrus, his voice slightly straining under control.

Miranda took a deep breath before proceeding. "When we found her, she was barely alive and had multiple injuries, most which required surgery. It's possible that she may need more surgery in the future. She is in a coma and we're not sure when she'll wake up."

Miranda's face seemed to soften a little. "Also, I have to warn you… she's… well, because of her injuries and the surgeries, seeing her may be a shock. Once we're there, I'll explain more."

She then waved a hand as she turned around to go back into the building with the others following. Inside was a large space filled with busy doctors and nurses caring for the patients who laid on countless cots and furniture pieces.

"What kind of hospital is this?" asked Tali curiously.

"I think this used to be a department store," explained Kaidan. "They're usually big stores that sell almost everything you can think of… clothes, kitchen items, furniture, those kinds of things."

"He's right," Miranda jumped in. "After the war ended, most hospitals were damaged or destroyed, so they began to use large buildings like this one and turned them into make shift hospitals. Down here is mostly for minor care, those who aren't critical. The upper two floors are where we have patients who need… more attention. The basement is used for procedures like surgery."

They reached what looked like an employee elevator, which were usually larger than elevators that were used for customers. They just managed to get everyone inside before Miranda pressed the button to the third floor.

When the doors opened nearly a minute later, the group stepped out and followed Miranda down the hall. Turning one corner, it wasn't hard to miss two Alliance soldiers standing guard on either side of the doorway.

Once they were a couple of feet away from the door, Miranda stopped to turn to the two guards, both standing at attention. "This is the group Admiral Hackett is allowing access to see Commander Shepard."

"He sent us the message an hour ago with their names," replied one guard. "He also mentioned that they are allowed to visit anything during the day except during medical procedures."

Miranda nodded in thanks before turning her attention to Shepard's crew. "The area you'll be entering is a small hallway and two rooms. She'll be in the last room. It will be a little cramped once you all go in."

Liara placed a hand on Garrus' shoulder. "You go ahead. We'll follow in a little while."

Until that moment, Garrus' mind was blank from any thoughts the second the shuttle landed in the parking lot. He was feeling mostly anxious during the walk, but now he was feeling nervous, knowing now that the woman he loved was so close after four months of separation.

Just a few more steps and he'll be by her side once more…

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he walked through the doorway that led into a little hallway with five chairs lined up along a wall. He figured that this was some kind of little waiting room of sorts. The first door was immediately in front of him, so he walked over to the end of the hallway over to the second door.

Garrus barely took a step into the room before he suddenly stopped.

The room was a little smaller than an average hospital room with a single window overlooking the mostly empty back lot. The walls were painted a light beige color and the floor below clearly once contained a carpet. It had been ripped out, revealing the concrete underneath. Because it was night time, the only source of light in the room was an overhead light above the single bed.

Upon looking at the bed, Garrus drew in a deep breath, seeing the barely recognizable figure of Commander Shepard. There was notable redness on parts of the left side of her face and most of her left arm, indication of burns that were healing. Both of her legs were in a cast and there was a tube that was helping her with breathing. Garrus couldn't begin to count how many of the smaller tubes were connected to her.

Either way, the moment he finally saw her was almost surreal. Despite what he was seeing, what mattered was that she was alive!

After staring for what felt like some time, Garrus spotting a couple of chairs next to the right side of the bed. He moved over to one before sitting down. Once settled, he slowly reached over to gently grasp her hand, being careful to not disturb the tubes in that arm. He wanted to say something, but all he could think of at that moment was how tight his throat was. Even if he tried to speak, he was sure that nothing would come out.

He wasn't sure how much time passed by, but before he knew it, the rest of the crew began to file in as well. Tali sat in the chair next to him and the others quietly made a semi-circle around Shepard's bed.

It was Dr. Chakwas who broke the silence. "What kind of injuries does she have?"

Miranda didn't hesitate to answer. "Shepard was found in the rubble on the Citadel. At the time, she had multiple bone dislocations and fractures in both legs and her hips, five broken ribs on her right side, third degree burns on 45% of her body, her left arm taking the worst of it, and lacerations with some having infections. She also had what looked like a bullet wound on the left side of her stomach, but the burns had closed it up, keeping her from bleeding out. She had skin grafts down and the skin weave will take care of the rest once the grafts heal the burns. Her ribs are completely healed as well as the lacerations."

"How was she found?" asked Traynor.

"Jack and her students from Grissom Academy found her about eight days after the war ended. She knew it was her by the wings tattoo on her right shoulder blade since she tattooed it on for her."

Vega looked up. "Jack found her within eight days? But… why did Hackett tell us she was declared KIA three months after the war ended?"

"At the time, the Alliance didn't see that as proof that it was her. The tattoo was very recent, and I assume Shepard didn't have the chance to add it to her distinguished marking list into her military record. Also, her dog tags were too melted for proper identification. Until two weeks ago, all they knew was that it was a female N7 soldier. The whole time, Jack was trying to track me down to help prove that she was Shepard.

"She finally got in contact and I came here as quickly as possible. My main proof was comparing her recent X-Rays with the ones from the Lazarus project. I showed them to Hackett and it was enough to prove them that this was definitely Shepard. I wanted to contact you, but by then you were on your way to Earth. Hackett also suggest that I hold off until you arrived so you may focus on getting back here."

"Yeah that might've been for the best," said Joker. "I probably would've blown the engine trying to make the Normandy move faster or something."

Some in the room gave Joker sad smiles, unsure whether he was joking or not at this point. It was Cortez who broke the brief silence. "It's… amazing she made it through all that."

"After everything she's been through..." whispered Tali.

"When do you think she'll wake up?" asked Liara.

Miranda frowned. "There's no way for us to tell at this point. Like I said, it's been touch-and-go since day one."

"You've mentioned the improvements of her injuries except her legs and hips," brought up Dr. Chakwas. "What's going on with those?"

No one in the room missed the fact that Miranda took a deep breath. "Her legs were… damaged to the point where the doctors nearly considered amputation. However, one of the surgeons here had suggested an old procedure to add in the bolts and rods to support the bones. She's had multiple surgeries in both legs and it's possible that she may need a couple of more in the future depending on her progress. Her hips have been healing, though we've had to use screws to secure it to the joint connecting her legs. Both joints had been dislocated."

After hearing all of this, Garrus finally managed to speak through the lump in his throat. "What about her upgrades? Wouldn't those have helped with her recovery?"

"The ones in her upper body are fine. However, the ones that were in her legs were shut down, thus why the healing progress is not like the ones from the waist up. My guess was that her legs took enough damage to affect the cybernetics in that area."

"Damn," muttered Vega.

"And honestly," Miranda continued. "I would've already had her legs repaired with the tech we used for Lazarus, but the material used at the time was tech that was only used by Cerberus. They… no longer exist. I'm sorry."

"I'm sure you're doing everything you can to help," said Liara sincerely.

There was more talking from there, but by this point, Garrus didn't bother to listen. Instead, he gave his attention to the woman lying in bed, his hand still holding hers gently.

Eventually, each of the crew spoke with Shepard briefly before departing the room. This went on for about ten minutes until only two people were left. Garrus felt the presence of the other person. Turning his head just enough to see them, he spotting Kaidan at the foot of the bed, a frown on his face and his arms folded in front of him.

Kaidan then took a step towards Garrus before placing a hand on his shoulder. "If you need anything, just let me know."

Garrus only nodded in reply. Kaidan patted his shoulder before moving away, giving Shepard one more quick glance before leaving the room. He would be in the room throughout the night.

At some point, Garrus had fallen asleep, his head resting on the edge of the bed next to Shepard's arm, the beeping noise detecting her heartbeat calming him. He didn't wake up until late in the morning as a nurse came in to replace one of the bags that delivered its content into her body. Food to sustain her, the nurse explained when he inquired.

With the position he laid in, Garrus woke up with a stiff neck and he took a moment to stretch it out. His omni-tool then beeped, indicating an incoming message. With a small sigh, he raised his left arm and activated his omni-tool.

Upon opening his extranet mailbox, Garrus' eyes widened at the amount of messages he received. Most of them were either from Primarch Adrien Victus or from his family (mainly his sister). The newest message came straight from Victus, so he decided to open that up first;

_Garrus –_

_I heard that the Normandy returned yesterday. I hope you get this message. In case the communication network didn't deliver the other messages properly, I'll brief you on what's been going on. I've been here in London since the war ended. With the mass relays still being repaired, many of us are still stranded here. We have started housing those still here just in case we remain here for quite some time, though I've heard from those in Palaven that the relay in Trebia is almost complete, so that is good news. At some point, we'll need to get any dextro food and medical supplies from that region so that our people don't starve._

_We're good on dextro rations for right now. I only hope that they won't be depleted before the relay here is fixed._

_Admiral Hackett had briefed me about Shepard a couple of weeks ago. I am assuming you already know about her survival and that you are with her at this time. After seeing the two of you together in London, I don't doubt the connection you two have. Take this time now to be with her._

_Message me as soon as you get this. It's good to know that you survived the war. You are an exceptional soldier, Vakarian, and I'm proud to know you as both a comrade in arms and a friend._

_-Victus._

Garrus read through the message a couple of more times before sending in his reply.

_Victus-_

_I'm sorry I didn't message you sooner. As you said, I only arrived last night and… a lot happened at once. I'm only catching up with my messages now._

_The Normandy was stranded five systems away from here and it had been a two-week journey from there. If it's all right, I'd like to take some time to clear my head. These last four months have been long, and I'm still trying to comprehend everything that's been happening since the end of the war. I would like to help with the refugees here soon, but I will take your advice and use this time to be by Shepard's side as she recovers._

_I'm only finding out now that you saw the end of this war. It's nice to see good news. I'm proud to have served under you and to call you a friend as well._

_-Garrus_

After sending the message, Garrus noted the latest message from his father, which was date about eight weeks ago. There was one from Solana that was dated just a week ago, but for some reason, he felt compelled to read his father's message first. Solana would probably kill him for that decision later, but it was fun seeing his sister get flustered at stuff like that. With that in mind, he opened up the message;

_Garrus-_

_I understand that communications are down right now, but I can only hope to the spirits that you somehow get this. Please reply as soon as you see this._

_Solana and I managed to survive the end of the war. Like everyone who joined the fight on Earth, we've become stranded since the mass relays were damaged. For now, the best thing we can do is help out here on Earth with the recovery efforts. The dreadnought we were on parked at a spaceport in a city called Osaka. That's where we are now._

_They say you're MIA, but there were witnesses who saw the Normandy fly off with the other ships just before the blast. No one is sure where you ended up, but if there's any way you can contact me or Solana as soon as possible…_

_Like I said, send me a message as soon as you see this._

_-Dad_

Garrus had to sigh a little after reading that. His Dad wasn't one to show worry, but he could sense it just from reading the message alone. Since it was sent two months ago, he could only wonder what his father was thinking about right now after not hearing from him.

He was also reminded that he never told his father about his relationship with Shepard. Solana knew and even his mother knew before she passed away, but as far as knew, Solana never mentioned it to their father. It wasn't like Garrus didn't want to tell his father about them (he had chosen to confide in his mother during one of her good days, and Solana knew even before he told her). It was just something that never came up with all the preparations they did before the war.

Pressing the reply button, Garrus began to send his message.

_Dad-_

_I'm sorry I didn't message you sooner. The Normandy was stranded five systems away from here and we only managed to return to Earth just last night. Communications had been very limited for the past four months._

_I haven't looked at an Earth map yet so I'm not sure where Osaka is. I'm in Toronto and I'll probably be here for a while. Tell Solana I'll message her soon. I'm glad you both made it out okay._

_-Garrus_

Done with messages for now, Garrus shut down his omni-tool. Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself that things are starting to get better. His family was okay… that was something he knew not a lot of people could say.

Now if only Shepard could wake up…

* * *

Garrus barely noticed the passing of time. His new home for now was in the chair next to Shepard, keeping a vigil in hopes that she'll wake up soon. Sometimes, he would talk to her, mostly updating her on what their friends were up to. He would also read her the messages his family and Victus would send him. And sometimes, he could only watch her in silence, hoping with every fiber in his body that she would pull through.

About two weeks after returning to Earth, the doctors took her in for more surgery on her legs to replace the screws in her knees. Even though it was a routine procedure and that she wasn't in immediate danger, Garrus couldn't help but feel agitated the whole time. Both Liara and Tali had stayed with him in the small waiting room during the long hours. When it was over and Shepard was back in her room, Garrus joined her at her bedside once more. He fell asleep next to her not long afterwards.

Two days later, Garrus was stunned to see two familiar visitors walk into the room.

"There you are!" Solana called out the minute she walked into the room.

Garrus' eyes widened more out of surprise than anything. "Hey. How did you-"

"Wasn't hard to find you," Solana said as she sat in the empty chair next to him. She then reached over to grasp his hand, giving it a brief squeeze. "I'm glad you saw the end of this war."

Garrus return the squeeze. "Glad you made it out, too. How did you find me?"

By then, their father, Arsenius Vakarian, had entered the room. He decided to stand on the other side of the bed. Garrus noticed that he stood tall like he always had, but there was weariness that etched on his face. His father indeed looked older.

Arsenius spoke after a moment of silence. "Victus told us you would be here. He spoke to Admiral Hackett, who in turn gave us clearance to visit. From what I understand, you, uh, barely left your Commander's side since your return."

Garrus' mandibles twitched at that. His father's voice had remained neutral at that statement, so he couldn't really guess what he was thinking at the moment. It was something Arsenius was always good at. Either way, Garrus had a feeling that Victus… or Solana, he wasn't sure… let it slip about what Shepard meant to him.

Solana spoke up before Garrus had the chance to say anything. "The shuttle ride from Osaka was, well… I've never seen such a big ocean before. Our shuttle pilot turned on the outside cameras, so we saw nothing but blue. It was a relief when we finally saw land."

Garrus realized he hadn't had the chance to look up where Osaka was. Bringing up his omni-tool, he mapped it out and saw that the city was part of a country called Japan, which was mostly surrounded by water. He then noticed the large body of water, the map calling it the Pacific Ocean.

"Huh, doesn't look that big from the map," Garrus mumbled.

Solana snorted at that. "Tell me about it. But either way… here we are."

"We'll most likely remain here for a while," Arsenius mentioned. "Despite the devastation, Osaka has a lot of help, so your sister and I thought we could assist here since there seems to be less help compared to where we were before."

Garrus nodded. "Okay."

For a long while afterwards, no one said a word, unsure of what to say. Then, Arsenius spoke. "Solana… could you see if you could get us something to eat. I'm sure they have something over at the refugee camp."

Solana seemed to hesitate for a moment, but seeing the knowing look in her father's eyes, she complied. "Sure. I'll see what I can get my hands on." She briefly patted Garrus' shoulder. "I'll be back."

Garrus nodded before Solana departed. Once she was out of sight, Arsenius walked over to the now empty chair that Solana occupied moments ago. The two men didn't say a word for a while and simply kept a silent vigil at Shepard's bedside.

"At first," Arsenius soon began to say quietly. "… I thought she was like all the other Spectres, and for a while, I had firmly believed that she was trying to take you away from your duty." He inhaled deeply. "But now… after everything, I realized that I was wrong."

Garrus' brow plates rose up at that. He remembered a time as a child when there were certain things he wished his father would say. One of them was to admit when he was wrong. Arsenius was always firm with his beliefs. To hear him admit that he was wrong now took him aback, but only briefly, probably because he never expected to hear it in his lifetime.

Garrus said nothing as Arsenius proceeded. "From everything you've told me to all of the positive accounts I've heard after the war, I realized that she was different. She never put herself ahead of anyone, and I admire her dedication and sacrifice to see the end of this war."

Arsenius then gently placed a hand on Garrus' shoulder. "And… I appreciate the things she was able to teach you and to help you become the turian that you are now." His next sentence fell into a whisper. "I am so proud of you, Garrus."

Since returning to Earth, Garrus had mostly kept his emotions in check, his mind thinking of some of the better times he had with Shepard. Somehow, his father's last sentence suddenly pulled those feelings out into the surface, partially because it was another thing he wanted to hear his father say since childhood. The other part was because he wondered if Shepard would ever pull through.

His body shaking, Garrus covered his face with both of his hands, muffling the soft keen that emerged from his throat. His father's hand remained on his shoulder and he noticed that his fingers tightened in reassurance.

"I just want her to wake up…" he breathed.

"I know," Arsenius replied quietly.

After a minute, Garrus managed to get himself under control. He slowly removed his hands from his face before reach one to grasp Shepard's hand. "How… how did you do it… with Mom…"

Arsenius sighed. "It wasn't easy, especially when it got worse. Eventually, I could only be by her side, waiting for the inevitable. But son… take comfort in knowing that she has a chance to make it."

He knew his next words were ones he was sure his son wouldn't want to hear, but they had to be voiced. "Garrus… if… she doesn't pull through this… I need you to promise me that you won't let this consume you."

Arsenius noticed Garrus turning to him, and he knew he was going to say something, but the older turian spoke again before his son had the chance. "I don't want you running off to Omega again. Also… it was hard enough losing your mother. I can't lose you, too."

Garrus turned away to look at Shepard. He remained quiet before he finally nodded. "Okay… I promise."

* * *

For three weeks after Garrus' family arrived, not all that much changed… well, except for the fact that Solana had joined Tali in her daily mission to make sure that Garrus ate something. In a way, it was good that it was mostly rations because Garrus barely noticed the taste.

One day, Arsenius showed up at the same time Solana and Tali did. He convinced his son to come out for a few hours to at least look over the refugee camp, or at least get some fresh air. It was freezing outside that day and the ground was snow-covered after a light storm came over the city just a couple of days ago, so Garrus had declined at first.

"Come on Garrus, you need to leave for a little bit," Tali said. "If it'll make you feel better, I'll stay with her until you come back."

Garrus realized that he wasn't going to win the argument and finally decided to go. He stood up from his chair. "Message me if anything happens."

Tali nodded before he departed. He only stopped momentarily to look at Shepard when he reached the door before following his family out of the hospital.

At the camp, Garrus saw a sight he knew Shepard would have been proud of… seeing all the different species working together. The camp he was at was primarily turian, but he noticed many of the other races helping out; human, asari, salarian, and even the krogan were there to keep guard of the camp. There was also a handful of quarians and there was even a couple of volus and hanar. Most of them were those who came to fight in the final battle, mainly waiting for the relays to reopen so they can go home. In the meantime, they were assisting with recovering Toronto. Though the city wasn't as hard hit as places like London, it still suffered a considerable amount of damage.

Seeing all of this had stirred some guilt within Garrus. He was sure that Shepard would have wanted him to help out at places like this while she was in the hospital. Even so, he couldn't help but remain with her.

He was definitely a bad turian.

Garrus decided to at least get an idea of where the camp was at with recovery efforts. From there, he would try to figure what he could do to help.

However, two hours after arriving, he received a priority message from Tali. Arsenius had heard the omni-tool go off and he didn't miss the wide-eyed look in Garrus' eyes. He stood next to his son as he pressed a button on his omni-tool to see the message;

'_Come back to the hospital! She's awake!_'

To think that this was the one time he left the hospital for more than a half hour…

"Go," Arsenius encouraged. "I'll come by some time tomorrow."

Garrus nodded before making a run back to the make-shift hospital, not stopping until he was at the door. Once inside, he took a moment to catch his breath before he began to head up to the third floor.

Upon reaching the small hall that led to Shepard's room, Tali waited for him by the door. Behind her mask, Garrus noticed that Tali's glowing eyes were shaped like crescent moons, and he guessed that she was smiling.

"There you are," the quarian said once he reached her. "There's a nurse in there checking her over, but you can go on in."

Garrus nodded. "Thanks."

Tali seemed to sigh. "I'm sorry… I wouldn't have encouraged you to leave if I knew she would wake up."

Garrus placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. At least she wasn't alone."

Tali nodded before she moved away from the door. Garrus then walked into the room before she returned to her place at the door frame. He noticed that the bed, which was previously flat, was now slightly raised. The one nurse was checking her vitals through the machines and making notes on her datapad. However, Garrus was confused as to why Shepard's eyes were closed.

The human nurse noticed the confusion on his face as he stared at her. "She's exhausted," she explained. "She'll most likely be in and out of sleep for the next few days. She won't be able to speak for a bit since she still has the breathing tube."

Garrus only nodded as he sat himself in his usual spot. He then reached for her hand and gave it a gently squeeze. Leaning closer to her, his said her given name aloud.

He nearly fell off his chair the second Shepard fluttered her eyes open. She turned slightly so that she was facing him. Once he was in her sights, her eyes widened for a moment, and Garrus didn't miss the tears that quickly filled them.

"Hey, it's okay," Garrus whispered as he rested his forehead on hers. In reply, Shepard closed her eyes, her browed furrowed in an attempt to hold back her tears. "The Reapers are gone and the galaxy is safe." He gave her a kiss on her temple. He then noticed a lone tear had slipped from one of Shepard's eyes and he gently wiped it away with a talon. "I'm here… I'm not going anywhere."

Garrus knew from this day forward that everything was going to be okay…

Shepard would sleep through most of the first week, and Garrus took advantage of every moment that her eyes were open. He mostly talked about what the others were doing, his family, and what was going on with recovery. He did inform her about the mass relays and how they were currently being repaired.

One afternoon, Shepard was well enough to use her omni-tool to communicate. Using a notepad app, she wrote out her first words;

'_This breathing tube sucks._'

Garrus had to chuckle at that. "I know, but it's only for another couple of more days."

Shepard rolled her eyes at that before writing, '_I hate hospitals. Let's plan a grand escape._'

Garrus patted her hand. "You let me know what you come up with."

Shepard rolled her eyes again. She then seemed to have thought of something before writing again. '_The Illusive Man's dead… talked the bastard into shooting himself. Now that's déjà vu for you._'

Not sure what 'déjà vu' means, Garrus quickly looked it up. It was some expression that meant 'the experience of thinking that a new situation had occurred before.' He knew she meant Saren in this case and the meaning definitely sounded right.

Shepard then wrote again. '_I was sitting next to Anderson when he died…_'

That was new to Garrus. He knew that Anderson was found on the Citadel along with an unknown burnt body (he figured that was The Illusive Man). It made him wonder what had happened between the three of them up on the Citadel on that fateful day. He was sure she'll let him know someday.

Garrus gently took her hand. "I'm sorry Shepard. He was a good man. They, um, already held a funeral for him in London. Hackett mentioned wanting to have a memorial service for him in the future."

Shepard sadly nodded. She then wrote, '_That's all I remember before I woke up here._'

She didn't write anything for a while, their attention turned to the TV that was playing in the room.

Shepard then pulled her hand away and began writing again. Garrus watched the TV for a moment until she stopped. He then turned to see her next message.

'_I love you_.'

He felt a lump develop in his throat, but he forced himself to swallow it down before leaning his forehead onto hers. "I love you, too," he whispered, his voice cracking a little. "I… I'm sorry I didn't say it enough…" He felt a keen trying to escape his throat, but he managed to swallow it down.

Shepard reached her hand to caress her fingers onto his cheek. Then, she wrote in reply. '_I've always known… knowing was enough for me._'

Lost for words, Garrus carefully wrapped his arms around her before holding her close to him. He felt Shepard enclose her own arms around him, and the two remained in silence, content in just being in each other's embrace.

* * *

**Present Day, more than 11 Months after the end of the Reaper War**

It was another sleepless night for Garrus… however, it was better than falling asleep and waking up to yet another nightmare.

Still, he couldn't help but think about those first few weeks he was at Shepard's side at the hospital. Thinking about it made him realize that he was more emotional during that time than he ever was even through childhood. However, it was like Solana said… he was in love.

Turning his head, he saw Shepard lying on her side facing towards him, her slow breaths indicating that she was in a deep sleep. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that those first few months ever happened. Now that they were living the domestic life while recovering from the war, Shepard's time in the hospital seemed so long ago, though it really wasn't.

Even so, there were still long roads ahead not just for her, but for him as well. Aside from the physical healing for her, they were both dealing with the flashbacks and reminders of their time as soldiers. The things they had seen, the decisions they had to make, and the dark moments they had to endure was not something anyone could get over overnight. Some things would be dealt with in time, but some may stay with them for the remainder of their lives even as they go through their day-to-day routine.

On nights like this when he couldn't sleep, Garrus would experience his own flashbacks just as Shepard was dealing with her own. Some nights, it was about his time in Omega. Some nights, it was over some of the cases in his days at C-Sec that shook him to the core. Other nights, it involved the two times he had thought that Shepard was dead. Tonight, it was about those first few weeks at the hospital. Until she woke up, Garrus had wondered whether or not she would ever pull through in the end.

However, despite dealing with post-traumatic stress in the aftermath of the Reaper War, Garrus believed that after everything they've experienced, he was sure that the darkest moments were over. There was sure to be more challenges ahead of them no doubt, but nothing will be as tough as their fight against the Reapers and the immediate aftermath.

Times like this, Garrus had to remind himself that the best thing he and Shepard can do was to live for today. It was something he learned during the war.

With that in mind, Garrus moved closer to Shepard before carefully wrapping his arms around her small frame, his chin resting on top of her head. He heard her mumble something in her sleep, but eventually he felt her relax against him.

With Shepard in his arms, listening to her soft breathing, and her scent surrounding him, it helped to ease Garrus into a more restful sleep.


	9. The Invite

**Chapter Nine – The Invite**

**Citadel, Nearly a Year Ago…**

_Despite the pain coursing through her body, Shepard managed to move enough so that she sat herself next to Admiral David Anderson. Leaning back on the step behind her, she watched as the Citadel arms opened. Soon, the Crucible would dock, and soon this war they've been fighting will finally end._

"_Commander," Anderson managed to say._

_Shepard turned her head to him. "We did it."_

_Anderson seemed to nod at that as they looked at the view of Earth in front of them. "Yes, we did. It's, um…" He cleared his throat. "Quite a view."_

_If she wasn't in pain, Shepard would have laughed in agreement. The soft laugh she did make caused her to grunt a little. "Best seats in the house."_

_Anderson took a deep breath. "God… feels like years since I just… sat down."_

_Shepard turned to him. "I think you've earned the rest." She frowned as she noticed him struggling to keep his eyes open, a grunt escaping his throat. "Stay with me, Anderson. We're almost through this."_

_She could tell that Anderson was trying to keep them open, but his eyelids were clearly heavy to him. He managed another deep breath before speaking again. "You did good, child. You did good. I'm… proud of you."_

_She closed her own eyes briefly. "Thank you, sir." She looked at him again and noticed that his eyes were closed and his head was tilted downward. He was no longer breathing. "Anderson?"_

* * *

Shepard's eyes snapped open, her body jolting from her sleep. For a few seconds, her mind was still hazy from the dream she just had… her final moments with her mentor and friend, the one who took her under his wing throughout most of her Alliance career.

Once her vision cleared, Shepard took some deep breaths to calm herself down. Sitting up in her bed, she noticed that daylight was peeking through the curtains of her bedroom. Looking around, she saw that Garrus was not occupying his side of the bed. It didn't take long for her to hear the shower running in the master bathroom.

Shepard did what she could to push her dream into the back of her mind, focusing instead on taking the hairbrush that sat on her nightstand and brushing her hair of any tangles that occurred in her sleep. Just as she finished, her omni-tool beeped. She put the brush down on the table and picked up the bracelet before placing it on her left wrist.

Opening her omni-tool, she saw that it was a priority vid-call from Admiral Steven Hackett. That made her raise an eyebrow, mostly wondering why he was calling. Looking down at herself, Shepard was glad that she didn't answer the call right away. She wasn't exactly… presentable.

For the next few minutes, Shepard took a moment to put on her bra and a decent shirt before sitting herself down on one of the chairs in the room facing the window. At least from here, the chair was tall enough to provide a nice background.

Pressing the button to activate the vid-call, the screen popped up, revealing Hackett's face. The war had left him looking older, especially in the past year, but Shepard supposed anyone who faced the brunt of this war came out of it with more than a few wears and tears. Aside from looking older, Hackett looked just about the same with the same demeanor and the same scars.

"Admiral Hackett," Shepard began, raising her right arm in a salute.

"At ease, formality is unnecessary, Shepard ," Hackett replied, a rare smirk on his face. "How are you?"

Well, that was new. Usually, if Hackett called, he would either talk business or update her on certain statuses before having an informal conversation. That was rare in itself. Either way, Shepard went along with it.

"I'm doing fine, sir. How are you?"

"Good," Hackett answered with enthusiasm. "We're still rebuilding around the galaxy, but I think the hardest part of it is over. The first six months were mainly focused on care for the refugees, clearing debris, and repairing the mass relays. These days, the actually rebuilding of our cities is started to come underway. It's an amazing thing to see… some of us were sure that a united galaxy would only be seen during the war. Yet, the unification remains as we rebuild."

Shepard remembered a few words that a CEO she met named Jonah Ashland had said to her once: _If we win this thing, the galaxy is going to be a pretty great place._

"So there's not a lot of trouble then?" Shepard asked.

"There have been pockets of criminal activity here and there and we still get reports of leftover Cerberus troops," Hackett explained. "The Council has most of their surviving Spectres taking care of them as well as any available soldiers to make sure that all recovery efforts run smoothly."

Shepard nodded. "Good to hear."

"Speaking of recovery, how is yours going?"

Shepard shrugged a little. "Slow."

"I can only imagine how much you're itching to get back out there to fight," Hackett said.

Shepard laughed a little. "At times I do, especially when I hear some of what's been happening when I watch the Alliance News Network. At other times, I do enjoy the peace. Still…"

Hackett's smirk grew bigger. "I assume civilian life doesn't happen overnight."

Shepard chuckled. "No, sir."

"That's what I thought. But remember, Shepard, you did the biggest job in the Reaper War. You saw through the end of this. As you already know, uniting the galaxy has helped us all in the long run, especially with rebuilding."

Rebuilding… that reminded Shepard about a rumor Garrus told her about not too long ago.

"I don't know if this is something's that classified or just a rumor, but I've been getting word that it's possible that Shalta Ward may be reopening soon. Are you able to confirm those rumors?"

"It is classified from the general public," Hackett explained. "But yes, Shalta Wards recovery is almost complete. It received the least amount of damage from the Crucible blast. Mostly, it had been clearing debris… bodies… and patching things up along with getting communication, electricity, and any else vital to running the ward again. The reason we haven't said anything to the general public yet is because we want to make sure with one-hundred percent certainty that Shalta Ward is habitable."

"Understandable."

"If all goes well, Shalta will be reopened within the next couple of months."

"What about the other wards?"

"We think Kithoi Ward will follow a few months later, and we also think that we may have the Presidium running again within the next six months. As for the other wards, Zakera is going to take some time to rebuild. We're still clearing out debris and… the remains of the dead on that ward. Bachjet will also take time, especially since the edge of that ward broke off. It's salvageable at least and only a few blocks on that ward went with that broken half."

Hackett then frowned before proceeding. "Tayseri got the worst of it. That ward not only broke in half, but that broken half was nearly obliterated. Getting that back together is going to take a while. We're talking possibly a few years. And even then, who knows if it'll be considered habitable again. There were survivors on the Citadel after the blast, but… as far as we can tell, anyone who was on Tayseri at the time of the blast didn't make it out."

Shepard found herself frowning at this news, and Hackett noticed it. "Whatever you did up there that day, Shepard, it wasn't your fault all those people and the geth died. None of us knew what the Crucible was capable of and what kind of devastation it would leave in its wake."

Shepard forced herself to give Hackett a neutral face. "Yes, sir."

Hackett nodded. "Good. Now for the reason I called."

Here we go.

"As you know, three weeks from today will be the one year anniversary of the end of the Reaper War."

Shepard's eyes widened at that. Has it really been that long? Then again, the first five months were in a coma, so it felt like less than a year to her.

Hackett continued. "There's a section in London that's complete. It has a recreational park that's been cleared and replanted. It happens to be in the neighborhood where Anderson grew up."

Shepard sucked in a breath upon hearing Anderson's name. She wondered, in a way, if the dream she had about her final moments with the Admiral was merely a coincidence or some strange premonition.

"In short, Shepard, the Alliance is putting up a memorial for Anderson in the park and we'll be holding a service for him the day before the war's anniversary. The Alliance and I would like for you to be there."

Shepard was about to reply when Hackett spoke again. "I do have to warn you that the media will be present during the service."

That closed her mouth, now feeling a little uneasy at knowing that the media will be at the service. She couldn't help but remember her encounter with that reporter on her last trip to Toronto.

"If I may ask, why is the Alliance allowing the media to be there?" Shepard questioned.

"To be honest, it wasn't my idea," Hackett explained with a shake of his head. "The higher ups figured that this will let the galaxy know what he's done during the war. Plus, inviting selected media aside from ANN will be less of a hassle in the long run."

Shepard sighed. "I can't help but wonder if my presence there will overshadow the service."

"I won't lie, it's possible," Hackett agreed. "But this is not an order. This is an invitation, so you have the choice of whether you want to go or not."

Shepard was quiet for a moment, looking down at her lap. On one hand, the last thing she wanted was for her presence to overshadow the service, as she mentioned. On the other hand, it was these kinds of events and services Anderson hated. The Alliance tended to put their fallen up on a pedestal, more interested in talking about their heroics rather than the person they were. He would want her to be there so that she could tell the galaxy the kind of person he was rather than the things he's done.

Even with that in mind, Shepard still felt hesitant. Knowing that the media was going to be there no matter what didn't sit well for her.

"Shepard?" Hackett spoke through her thoughts, waiting for answer.

Shepard sighed. "I… need to think about this if that's okay."

Hackett nodded in understanding. "All right. I'll give you forty-eight hours to decide. The reason for the time limit is because the Alliance needs to figure out how many people are attending. I'll contact you then.

"Oh, and let Vakarian know that he's invited as well. Give him my regards. Hackett out."

Shepard shut off the vid-call once that was done. With another sigh, she leaned back into the chair, gazing out at the window in front of her. Summer had just begun not too long ago, and it wasn't hard to miss some of the activities out on the lake. Ducks hung around the edge of the water and the small dock behind their house. She also noticed a couple of humans setting up a canoe on the other side of the lake. She wondered if they were just canoeing or going out to catch some fish.

She was admiring the view, feeling somewhat peaceful that she didn't hear Garrus come out of the bathroom. He eventually caught her attention as he sat down on the other chair next to her.

"Hey," Shepard said.

"Hey," Garrus replied. "I heard you talking while I was drying off."

"That was Admiral Hackett on vid call."

"Ah. How is he?"

"Good, just overlooking the rebuilding process. We, um… we've been invited to Anderson's memorial service in London. It'll take place the day before the anniversary of the war."

"I see," Garrus said. "Did you… want to go?"

Shepard sighed. "On one hand, the media will be there. I'm not sure if publicity will be a good thing. Technically, it'll be my first 'official public appearance.'" She had air quoted the last three words. "And the last thing I want is for my presence to overshadow the service."

"Have you told Hackett your concerns?"

"Yeah, but the media idea was from the high-ups, not his. Even he knew it was inevitable if I go. However, at the same time, I feel like I could make one little difference. The Alliance likes to put their deceased soldier on some heroic pedestal rather than talking about the person, and I'm sure if anything, Anderson would want me there to provide that.

"Honestly? Anderson was a modest person who would despise the idea of receiving this kind of public attention."

She didn't miss the huff that Garrus let out before he replied. "He said something similar like that. Specifically after… the SR1…"

Shepard frowned as she stared at him. "Really?"

Garrus nodded, his mandibles twitching a couple of times. "At your… funeral, the politicians and the Alliance high-ups… all they talked about was you being a hero and the sacrifices that you made. I don't know about the Alliance, but everyone knew that the politicians were painting you in a positive light to boost their own image, especially Udina."

Shepard snorted as she leaned back in her chair, folding her arms in front of her. "That's not surprising."

"When it was Anderson's turn to speak, I… think it was a breath of fresh air because he talked about who you were… your childhood, joining the Alliance, the kind of soldier you were towards your superiors and your crew, and the things he would remember and miss about you."

Shepard frowned as Garrus mentioned this. She realized after all this time that they never talked about her funeral after the Normandy SR1 was attacked, killing twenty crew members, her XO Charles Pressley, and spacing her into Alchera after she got Joker into an escape pod.

"What else happened at the funeral?"

Garrus' attention was turned towards the lake outside. "It was fairly small with only the Alliance News Network as the media. More media outlets like Westurland News tried gaining access, but they were turned away. From what I understand, it was chaos."

"Must be why the Alliance is cooperating with them now…"

"Maybe," Garrus continued. "Anyway, all of the surviving crew of the Normandy was there, though... out of all of us, Kaidan was the only one who spoke in front of everyone. I remember that he barely got through his speech, but from what I was able to catch, he talked about the kind of commander you were… the kind that always listened to her crew and never judging any of them, and how you always tried to help them in even the worst of situations. He didn't mention his relationship with you… probably out of respect for the fraternization rule you humans have… but the grief was there in his eyes…

"There was also a casket there, but of course it was empty. Before the funeral, we were each encouraged to bring in a token."

Shepard looked at him. "Tokens, huh? What kind?"

Garrus tilted his head back a little. His head leaned on the edge of the top part of his chair with his fringe jetting out over it. "Wrex left a shotgun."

Shepard snorted. "That's so like him."

"Kaidan left you a single red rose. It had a ribbon on the stem tied like a bow. The ribbon was in your favorite color. Liara left you a piece of paper containing a poetry piece written by some guy named Walt."

Shepard nodded as she remembered how Liara started reading some of Ashley's collection of poetry after the latter's death on Virmire. She'll have to ask Liara what piece it was she left her one of these days.

"Tali left you an OSD that contained a copy of that quarian song we found on that geth base," Garrus mentioned.

There was a moment of silence after that, but Shepard noticed that he hadn't mentioned this token. "What about you?"

"I… left you two things, actually. One was a bottle of your favorite beer."

Shepard laughed at that. "Of course you would. What was the other thing?"

Garrus inhaled deeply as he fidgeted for a moment in his seat. "It was… a Palaven native flower we call a laelia. It's mostly purple with a little white in various spots and the stem is a pale green color. They were my mother's favorite and… I thought maybe you would like them, too. I wasn't sure how you felt about flowers at the time, but… I don't… I just… I thought maybe you would appreciate it and…"

Shepard heard him swallow as he tried to explain. In reply, Shepard reached over to intertwine her hand with his before giving is a reassuring squeeze. "Thank you. I do appreciate it."

Garrus simply nodded in reply.

Shepard made a decision then. "I think I'll go. He was there for me from the beginning and did what he could to help me throughout my career. I'm going for him, not to kiss the media's ass."

Garrus managed to chuckle at that. "I'm sure he would want you there."

* * *

Later that evening, Shepard was prepping dinner while Garrus was reading a few reports Victus had sent to him earlier this morning. Somewhere in the living room, their cat Felix was batting a catnip-filled toy around, its little bell jingling with each toss. The bell was a little distracting, but it was better than what Felix was doing a few minutes ago… jumping on the table and knocking down some of the datapads onto the floor for no reason other than to get Garrus' attention.

Almost all of the windows were opened to let the summer night breeze in. At times, they would hear some noises whether it was the ducks quacking by the lake outside or a car driving by.

At one point, a loud booming sound was heard, one that sounded similar to a gunshot. Upon hearing the noise, Shepard froze in place, suddenly in a flashback;

_The pain in her body was excruciating, her arm shaking as her hand held the gun. A black swirl surrounded her and she felt terrified as she can barely move, trying all she can to fight against the hold on her. Worse of all, her gun was pointing right at Anderson._

_Somehow, The Illusive Man was controlling them with some dark energy, trying to talk to them in proving in his indoctrinated state of mind that the means to defeating the Reapers was to control them, not destroy._

"_Look at the power they weld. Look at what they can do!"_

_Before she realized what was about to happen, the gun went off and the bullet slammed into Anderson's gut-_

"Shepard! SHEPARD!"

Garrus' voice soon cut the flashback out of her mind, bringing her back to the present. His hands rested firmly on each of her arm, and he looked down at her with concern and worry in his blue eyes. At their feet, the pan she had just taken out of the cupboard to use was now on the floor.

Once he knew she was back in the present, Garrus pulled her to him before wrapping her in an embrace. "It's all right," he whispered to her. "You're safe. Everything will be okay."

In reply, Shepard placed her hands on his back, her eyes closed tightly in order to control the tears that threatened to spill over. Her body shook anyway.

Anderson's voice entered her mind. '_You did good, child. You did good. I'm proud of you._'

In the end, Shepard had to remember that he wouldn't blame her for that bullet. They both knew The Illusive Man was responsible. Still, if only Shepard found a way to fight back-

'_No… this wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault!_'


	10. The Memorial

**Chapter Ten – The Memorial**

After making some arrangements in a few days' time, Shepard and Garrus were ready to head to London. Their bags were packed, food perishables were taken care of, and their neighbors, Meela and Trey, offered to look after the house as well as Felix and the hamster. Very early in the morning, an Alliance Kodiak shuttle waited for them.

Upon stepping outside, Shepard smiled as her eyes spotted their pilot. "Steve Cortez, it's been a long time!"

She and Garrus found out ahead of time that Cortez had also accepted the invitation to Anderson's memorial service. Although Cortez didn't know him personally nor has he ever worked under Anderson directly, it was the fact that he had served on the Normandy during wartime that earned him the invite. He made the decision to go once he was sure that Shepard was going as well.

Cortez was already approaching her at this point, his own smile on his face. When he reached her, they both shared a brief hug. "I would've visited sooner, but the Alliance has kept me busy these past few months."

"I could imagine," Shepard said. "How have you been?"

"Good," Cortez replied. "I've been in Vancouver most of the time helping with the rebuilding efforts over there. Mainly, they've been having me arrange procurements for the volunteers in that area, especially for those from off-planet. In between, I've been piloting shuttles for lifting any heavy objects that are needed for rebuilding."

"Sounds like you've been hard at work," Garrus said as he approached them. The two immediately shook hands once they were both within reach.

"How have you both been?" Cortez asked as he started to help with picking up some of their bags.

Shepard pointed a thumb at Garrus. "The Primarch and our house have been keeping him busy. I've been mostly bouncing off the walls."

"Aaand my translator just had a glitch overload over whatever you just said," Garrus mentioned.

"Time for an upgrade," Cortez said with a smirk, indicating that he was teasing.

"Didn't Vega say something like that when you were both talking about the stealth system on the Kodiak?" Shepard asked.

"That's exactly where I got it from."

"Too bad Vega couldn't make it to the service," Garrus said.

"Being neck deep in N7 training can do that," Cortez replied. "Even with the rebuilding of the galaxy, the Alliance needed to build up their N7 count just in case any operations that might come up becomes too much for your average soldier."

"If I recall, they lost a lot of N7 soldiers during the war," Shepard said with a small sigh. "Either way, I miss yours and Vega's banters."

"Funny you said that," Cortez laughed. "The last time I spoke with him before he left for training, well, he didn't say it outright, but he did miss our banters, too. He also said that when his training is done, he wants to come up to visit you two."

"As long as he brings the cerveza," Shepard said.

"And turian brandy," Garrus added.

Soon, they got everything in the shuttle and Cortez began the preparations for the flight. Shepard ended up sitting in the front seat because it was the only other chair to have a seatbelt. It was mostly so in case something happens where the shuttle lurches… then at least Shepard wouldn' be flying out of her seat. Garrus sat in one of the bench seats closest to the cockpit.

"Traynor also told me to tell you hello and apologized for not sending you a message sooner," Cortez brought up.

"How is she?" Shepard asked with a small smile on her face.

"She's been helping with communications in the Vancouver area of course. Like Vega, she's also neck deep in work and couldn't make it to the service."

"Maybe the three of you could come over at the same time someday," Shepard suggested. "Of course, if I remember correctly, she's allergic to cats so I'll have to figure out what to do with the furball that lives with us."

"You got a cat?" Cortez asked curiously.

"Long story."

"So who else will be at the service?" Garrus asked as the shuttle started its journey to London.

"I got a message from Kaidan not too long ago," Cortez mentioned. "He's accepted the invitation and will meet us in London."

"I actually got a message from Jack in the middle of the night last night," Shepard said.

That got Garrus' attention since he didn't hear about this until now. "Really?"

"Yeah. Kahlee Sanders had asked her to escort her to the service, and Jack felt that it was something she couldn't turn down for Kahlee's sake…"

Upon mentioning Kahlee, Shepard found herself frowning, remembering how Anderson mentioned that the two were more than close. She had only heard from her once since the war ended and it had been a message. Kahlee had personally thanked her for everything she had done in the war. She was also grateful that Anderson wasn't alone when he died…

Shepard had sent Kahlee a reply, but unless she looked at her records on her omni-tool, she couldn't remember exactly what she said to her.

"We should be in London in a couple of hours," Cortez mentioned.

Most of the ride was quiet mainly because the three of them were heading to the city that was the most devastated on Earth. It had also been where the Citadel beam was locating, taking anyone dead or alive up, most likely to be harvested. The bloody, countless corpses Shepard had walked by were one sight she wished that she could forget…

A couple of hours later, the shuttle arrived in London. Looking through the external camera, Shepard found herself frowning at the sight of the old city.

"It barely looks any different than when we were fighting last year…" Garrus said as he stood behind her seat to look at the sight.

"Rebuilding cities only just began not long ago according to Hackett," Shepard mentioned. "I imagine that it will take quite a few years before its back to normal… somewhat."

"Living in the country almost makes you forget the damage left behind, doesn't it?" Garrus sighed.

Shepard sighed as well. "Yeah…"

"I'll be parking at the hotel momentarily," Cortez announced. "After we bring our luggage up, is there anywhere in particular you want to go?"

It didn't take very long for Shepard to decide where she wanted to stop first…

000

It wasn't a surprise that London was heavy with clouds, though at the moment, there was no rain. Garrus remembered something that Shepard said about the city before the final battle… it always rained in London.

Perhaps it was a blessing in a way that it wasn't raining right now. Garrus personally didn't like getting wet (unless it was out of necessity), but it was more for Shepard's sake than anything.

Hackett had mentioned that some parts of the neighborhood Anderson grew up in were cleared from debris left behind in the war. The park where the service would take place apparently looked as though the devastation never happened, but it was something that would be seen tomorrow when the memorial happened.

With so many dead from the war, new cemeteries were made outside London. At least one national cemetery was created for soldiers who had died in the war, and it was the one where Anderson was buried after his funeral. Standing in front of his grave, Shepard read the words on his military tombstone;

_David E. _

_Anderson_

_Adm_

_Alliance Navy_

_N7_

_June 8, 2137_

_Jul 8, 2186_

_Led Resistance _

_Movement_

_In the _

_Reaper War_

It was simple and to the point, and Shepard had a good feeling that it would have been just the way he would have liked it.

She also had a good feeling that Anderson wasn't a flower person either. Still, Shepard wasn't sure what else to bring. She was afraid that bringing a small trinket would end up being stolen, so bringing a bouquet of random flowers was a better call. If anything, she was sure that he would've laughed over how mismatched the bouquet looked.

With Garrus' help, she sat down on the green grass before placing the bouquet at the base of the stone. Except for the light breeze causing the branches of the freshly planted trees to sway, nothing was said for a while. Shepard found her mind filled with good memories of her mentor, of all the times he helped her whenever he could.

Finally, Garrus spoke. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

Shepard closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. "Just… thinking about some old memories."

"Like what?" Garrus asked.

One came to her right away and she smiled. "Well… there was this one time, just before the shakedown run to Eden Prime, where most of us were hanging out in the mess. You see, a good chunk of us were transferred from the SSV Tokyo, where Anderson served before he was transferred to the SR1, but there were those who never worked under him before. It's natural for soldiers to feel a little nervous when working under a new commanding officer. No two officers are the same it seems like. Protocols are the same, but some are stricter about it, some not-so-much.

"Anyway, I remember eating with some of the newer crew when Anderson walked in. Everyone got quiet suddenly, unsure of how to act aside from standing up to salute him… except he had mentioned that the mess hall was a no hats area, so saluting was not necessary. He retrieved his food like everything was normal. Then, he went to sit down and, before he started eating, he looked at everyone in the eye, smiled and said, 'What's the matter? Never seen commanding officers eat before?' That got a few chuckles out of everyone and they were able to relax around him after that."

That made Garrus smile as he kneeled down so that he was eye level with her. "I didn't know him as well as you did, of course, but from everything I've heard, that sounds like something he would do."

Shepard nodded as the small smile on her face slowly faded. Once more, she found herself staring at the headstone in front of her. "I miss him, Garrus," she whispered.

The turian gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know…"

000

There weren't that many restaurants opened even a year after the end of the war. However, that didn't stop Jack from inviting Shepard and Garrus to the only levo-dextro restaurant that also doubled as a nightclub. The three of them also met up with both Cortez and Kaidan and they soon were seated in one of the large booths. Normally, it would have overlooked the city, but with the damage outside, the restaurant had placed curtains over the windows.

"…So we've been pretty much working over at the London Alliance base until they rebuild Grissom Academy," said Jack as she explained what she has been up to since the end of the war. The five of them were looking over the menu to see what they wanted for dinner.

"Seems like the Alliance is keeping everyone busy…" Shepard said with a sigh.

"Shepard, you did more than anyone during the war," Cortez mentioned. "Let us do the heavy lifting this time."

"I've been hearing that a lot," Shepard mentioned. She managed to smile at the shuttle pilot. "But I appreciate the thought."

Kaidan had only been half paying attention to the conversation as he gazed down at the menu. "I wonder how good the steaks are here," he mumbled more to himself than to anyone in particular.

Shepard turned her attention to Jack. "Hey, I never got to thank you for everything you did when… you found me."

"No problem," Jack replied almost casually as she leaned back in her seat. "I'm just glad things worked out in the end, especially after I was banned from seeing you at the hospital."

'_Why am I not surprised?_' Garrus thought to himself. Normally, he would have said that out loud, but he didn't feel like increasing his chances to be thrown across the room tonight by Jack's biotics.

"I heard about that," Shepard replied. "I wanted to lift the ban, but you were already out of London by that time, plus your extranet address wasn't accepting new messages."

"I lost my omni-tool during the final battle," Jack explained. "I didn't get a new one until a few months ago. Anyway, I knew it was a good idea to follow my instinct when I gave you that tattoo on your back. Last I saw, it had burns on some spots…"

"It just needs a touch up since I still have some scars there, but it's mostly intact. I did add the tattoo to my list of distinguished markings with the Alliance after I heard what you tried to do."

Jack nodded. "Good. It was hard trying to get Alliance brass to listen to me when I told them I gave you the tattoo. Naturally, they listened when the cheerleader showed up with those X-Rays."

"You have to admit, Miranda had more compelling evidence at the time," mentioned Garrus. He was sure the mention of the former Cerberus operative cause a brief flare of Jack's biotics to show up… either that or he was just imagining things.

"Yeah, whatever," the biotic grumbled.

Soon, their waitress came by to take orders for their drinks. Everyone ordered some kind of light alcoholic drink… not enough to get too tipsy, but enough to relax a bit. It didn't take long for the drinks to arrive. The waitress then took their dinner orders before taking their menus and departing.

Once that was done, Shepard cleared her throat. "I think a toast is in order here." She raised her filled glass. "To Anderson."

The others raised their own glasses. "To Anderson," they repeated.

"May he rest well," Kaidan added.

Their clinked their glasses together in their toast before all five began to sip their drinks at once. Jack ended up drinking her entire share in one sitting before placing the glass down on the table.

"Okay," she started to say. "Enough with the depressing crap." She then turned her head to eye the nearby dance floor. "Let's go dance while we wait for our food."

Shepard smirked. "I'd join you, but not only are my legs not cooperating, but I apparently 'dance like shit' according to you."

Cortez was starting to get up. "Come on Shepard, you can always go out there and wave your arms in the air."

"Don't encourage her!" Jack demanded with a laugh.

"I'm good," Shepard said with a laugh.

Jack then pulled Kaidan up from his seat. "Come on, you're dancing, too."

"Um… okay," Kaidan managed to say, feeling a little disoriented from suddenly being pulled up by the arm.

"Are you coming Garrus?" Cortez asked.

"I'm good," Garrus replied. "I don't want to build up my appetite any more than it's necessary."

"Suit yourself," Jack said before the three of them moved to the dance floor.

Shepard had to chuckle after that exchange. "We seriously need to get everyone back together one of these days." She then light slapped his arm. "And you don't have to decline dancing for my sake, you know."

"It's true, I don't want to work up an appetite," Garrus replied truthfully.

"All right, all right," Shepard said. "Besides, watching from the sidelines can be fun at times."

"True. Too bad none of us plan to get drunk tonight."

"It's for the best…"

They fell quiet after that, both contented to watch their friends on the dance floor. For the most part, the three stayed together. Eventually, Shepard noticed how Cortez and Kaidan were facing each other, and it didn't take long for them to start dancing together with barely a foot in between them. Jack still danced next to them, but she seemed to begun to enjoy just being by herself with the rhythm of the music.

It also seemed as though Garrus had noticed what was going on as well. "You know… it just _might_ be the very little amount of alcohol we just drank, but if I didn't know better, I'd say Cortez and Alenko are drawing themselves a little closer to each other."

"I'm seeing it, too," Shepard mentioned. "You know, I never thought about it, but they would make a good match if they both gave themselves the chance."

"Planning to play matchmaker?" Garrus asked with a grin.

"Nah," Shepard replied. "Joker and EDI were enough work for one lifetime."

"Fair enough."

000

It didn't come as a surprise to Shepard that morning came with clouds in the sky. It always seemed to be cloudy in London.

The Alliance had escorted Shepard and Garrus to the park where Anderson's memorial service would take place. Certain areas of the park were barricaded to keep the general public out. Shepard did notice some members of the media outside the barricade. She knew that media outlets were allowed in, but she was now positive that the Alliance would only allow in certain news networks. Something must've changed between Hackett's invitation and now.

'_Looks like not just any of them could come in after all_.' In a way, this lifted a small weight off her shoulders.

The guards let their escort car in and the vehicle drove through until they stopped in the middle of the park. There, folded chairs and a platform were set up, and it was hard to miss the black cloth that was currently veiling what she knew was the life-like statue of Anderson. Along the back row of the chairs, Shepard noticed the media, though there wasn't too many of them. Alliance News Network was one, and she noticed Westurland News as well (though there was no sign of Al-Jilani at the moment).

"You ready?" Garrus asked her once the car stopped.

Shepard inhaled deeply. "Not really… but, well… let's go."

From there, they both got out of the car. In almost an instant, a few photographers shot pictures of the two, and Shepard had to squint her eyes a little from the camera flashes.

'_Hopefully this will only last a minute,_' she grumbled in her mind.

Shepard and Garrus walked side by at the pace only Shepard could handle right now. Although she had noticed some improvement in her walking, especially in speed, it still took quite a bit of effort just to make that one step forward. This gave Shepard the time to observe her surroundings. Of course, a huge majority of those in attendance were human, but she did also notice quite a few turians as well. She knew that Anderson had done some training with the turian military at one point in his life, so she was sure that these turians knew Anderson from that time.

When they got to the middle, they noticed Kaidan and Cortez sitting in their seats. Both were dressed in Alliance blues just as she was. The two noticed them as well, and all four nodded to each other in greeting.

Their assigned seating, of course, was near in front… second row if Shepard remembered, but Hackett told her that it was along the walkway so that it was easier for Shepard to come and go if needed. She was getting close to the front when she noticed someone approaching her. Naturally, she turned her head to see who it is.

"It's been a long time, Commander Shepard," they said.

Shepard smiled warmly upon recognizing them. She reached out a hand. "Major Coats. How are you?"

Coats reached out and the two shook hands. "Good, though it's Lieutenant Colonel now."

Shepard sighed at that. "Yeah, sorry, I've been somewhat out of the loop since the end of the war."

"That's quite all right. I heard you're on medical leave right now."

Shepard nodded. "What have you been doing since the war ended?"

Coats attention turned towards the park they were in. "A majority of my time has been spent helping with recovering London. Needless to say, it's still ongoing, and we think it'll be a few years before it's complete like many other cities… though it won't really be what it once was. A lot of the centuries-old buildings were too badly damaged to save."

Shepard nodded. "Keep up the hard work. If it wasn't for my injuries, I'd be helping with recovery."

"You earned the rest, Commander," Coats said. "If you hadn't united the races to fight back, we would've all been obliterated a while ago."

"So I've been told," Shepard replied.

"And… the resistance wouldn't be what it was if it wasn't for Anderson."

Shepard nodded in agreement as she found herself frowning a little. "I just wish he was here to see how far we've come since the end of the war."

Coats nodded in agreement. "Yes… well, it was good to see you again, Commander."

"You too, Lieutenant Colonel. I just wish it was under better circumstances…"

"Likewise."

The two parted with Coats sitting down in his seat. Shepard soon made it to her own seat. She didn't even start to sit down before she felt a light punch to the arm. Shepard knew it was Jack before she even turned her head.

"Hey, I was wondering when you would show up," Jack said.

"Blame the legs," Shepard replied with a smirk. She then happened to notice Jack's all black attire consisting of dress pants, boots, and long sleeve shirt. The only tattoos of hers that were showing were the ones on her head, neck, and hands.

Jack noticed Shepard staring and sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I'm wearing clothes covering most of the tattoos. I can dress respectfully if I want to."

"I'm sure the Alliance would kick you out otherwise," pointed out Garrus.

"That's what Sanders said," Jack said.

Upon mentioning Sanders, Shepard's eyes shifted towards the front row. There, she noticed Kahlee speaking to Admiral Hackett, both dressed in Alliance blues.

Shepard turned to Garrus. "Do you mind keeping Jack company for a couple of minutes? I should go and speak with Hackett."

Garrus nodded. "You got it."

"Have fun," said Jack as Shepard began to leave.

She was a few feet away when Hackett noticed her. She was starting to straightened up to salute, but the Admiral waved a hand to stop her as he approached.

"At ease, Shepard, formality is not necessary," Hackett said. A small smirk appeared on his face as the two shook hands instead. "I'm glad you can make it."

Shepard nodded. "I noticed there aren't a lot of media as I thought there would be."

"After I spoke with you," Hackett began to explain. "One of the news outfits started to speculate on who will be there rather than focusing on Anderson. You were mentioned the most of course. I think that got the higher-ups to think over who could be allowed in, so they limited it to just a few selected. Without their interference, at least now the primary focus can be on Anderson and the memorial itself."

Shepard seemed to sigh with relief. "I'm glad that worked out."

Hackett nodded. "We'll be starting the service in just a few minutes. When it's done, I'd like to discuss a few possible ideas of work you can do for the Alliance. It'll be done at home, of course, but it'll be better than sitting around with nothing to do I imagine."

Shepard's eyes lit up at that mention. "That would be great."

Hackett gave her a brief nod before turned to head up to the platform. By then, Shepard turned her attention to Kahlee, who also made eye contact. A small smile appeared on the blond-haired woman's face.

"Commander, it's good to see you," Kahlee said. She looked and sounded a bit exhausted, but other than that, she looked just the same from the last time Shepard saw her.

The two shook and Shepard took her free hand to place on top of Kahlee's clasped one. "How are you, Kahlee?"

Kahlee took a deep breath. "It's… still hard some days, but it's better than the first few months since David died. Other than that, I've been busy with the Grissom Academy students over at the Alliance base nearby. The academy will be rebuilt one day, but for now…"

"The one thing you can do is take one day at a time," Shepard said. "It's what we all need to do to get through the tough times."

Kahlee nodded. "Yeah, you're right… still, it doesn't make it easy. But I try the best I can and do what needs to be done. That's what he would have done."

They both noticed Hackett getting ready to approach the podium on the platform. The memorial would start at any moment.

Shepard managed to smile. "It's good to see you again, Kahlee."

"You too, Shepard. And thank you again… for everything you've done."

Shepard nodded before leaving to take her seat.

A minute later, all was quiet as Hackett began to speak.

"Comrades, colleagues, friends… we are gathered here today to honor and remember a soldier who fought hard against a war that nearly tore the galaxy apart, one who will always be remembered for his bravery, heroics, and leadership; Admiral David Edward Anderson.

"He was born here in London in this very neighborhood, so it was right that we join together here today. Before we commence, it is my honor to present this tribute to one of the many who fought to see an end to the Reaper War."

The moment Hackett's last sentence was finished, a couple of soldiers pulled down the veil, and the eight foot tall statue of Anderson was unveiled. He was dressed in military gear similar to the one he wore when he died. He stood tall with an Avenger rifle pointing up in his right hand and his eyes gazed up towards the sky. Upon the reveal, those in the audience took a moment to clap in unison.

For a few minutes afterwards, Hackett spoke more about Anderson mainly about the work he did during the Reaper War. Once he was done, he looked over the large crowd in front of him. "If there's anyone who wishes to speak about Anderson, come up to the podium."

There was only a few seconds where everyone simple looked around to see who would be the first to speak about Anderson. It didn't take long before Shepard chose to stand first.

Garrus looked up at her and he noticed the reassuring smile on her face. He realized what she was thinking. '_Don't worry, I can do this_.' The walk to the podium would take her a bit, but she was willing to get up there without assistance. He simply nodded before she began to head forward.

It did take a bit, and Shepard was grateful for once that she was sitting very close to the front row. Who knew how long it would have taken had she not been assigned a closer seat and ended up in the back row.

Shepard didn't miss the sounds of cameras clicking as they took her picture while she went up the ramp to the platform. Halfway up, Hackett had offered her a hand, and though she was a bit reluctant, she went ahead and took it. He then escorted her until she stood at the podium.

Leaning against the podium, Shepard took a moment to look over the crowd. Naturally, all eyes were on her and she was sure that the news networks were having a field day over her first public appearance since the end of the war. She was feeling a little uneasy suddenly, wondering for just a moment if coming up to the platform was a mistake.

Shepard then turned to see Garrus, whose mandibles spread in his own reassuring smile. Seeing that gave her a small boost of confidence, and she was able to find her voice after taking a deep breath…

"There are a lot of things that many could describe David Anderson… admiral, leader, mentor, soldier, colleague… and friend. There's so much to say about him, but I'd imagine that he would want me to keep it simple and modest, just as he was in life.

"Fifty years ago, David was born here in London, the youngest of three. As a child, David's father would take him to the base he worked at. There, he would spend time watching ships and fighters take off and land in a time where humanity could only wonder if we were not alone in the galaxy.

"He was still young when he decided to join the military. Most join for reasons like duty and honor. He joined because of a lesson he learned from a dog. You see, this dog would bark at him every time he walked it on the way to school. 'Scared the hell out of me,' he said. Then, one day when he was in a bad mood, the dog barked as always… but this time, David barked back. They kept at it until there was nothing left. The lesson he learned? 'Sometimes, you just gotta howl to make things right.'

"But that's just part of David's life. As a soldier, he was the kind of leader that anyone who served under him can look up to, myself included. Even in the most stressful situation, David had a way to motivate you whether it was encouragement or a small, lighthearted joke. He was doing that as far back as the First Contact War. It was one of the things I learned as a commander… the last thing one wants is a soldier under constant stress.

"David was not a man without flaws and he would be the first person to tell you that. He made mistakes just like anyone else, but he never let it get him down. Even when his own ass was handed to him, he would dust himself off and push forward.

"What will I remember most about David? His sense of right and wrong, his humor, all the stories of his life that he told me since I've served under him, and all the advice he had given me. What will I miss most about David? The times when things get rough and he was just a vid-call away… his encouragement was one to cherish…"

At this point, Shepard found her throat closing up with emotion, her eyes beginning to blur with tears. She took a moment to compose herself, blinking back the tears and swallowing the lump in her throat. Her voice cracked a bit for just a moment once she spoke again…

"It… hurts to know that David didn't live to see the end of the war, especially because he was one of the soldiers who fought hard to put it at an end. But… I know that if he was standing here today, he would look at each and every one of you, smile, and say, '… I'm proud of you.'

"Rest in peace, David Edward Anderson."


	11. Geneva

**Chapter Eleven – Geneva**

For a while after her last visit to Toronto, Shepard almost felt reluctant to see another doctor. The last doctor was nice… but Shepard knew that she could get a second opinion somewhere else. Perhaps she'll be more convinced about not walking the same again if multiple doctors say the same thing.

Shepard wanted more than anything for Dr. Chakwas to look over her. Alas, she was still on the Normandy's galactic tour with the four councilors. One other doctor she could trust was Dr. Michel, but that's only because she knew her and remembered the care she had given to both Tali and Kaidan.

However, Dr. Michel was in her home city in Europe helping out with the recovery efforts there. From their new home, it was quite a trip to get there. However, since they were here in Europe now, Garrus encouraged Shepard to call Dr. Michel to see if she can make an appointment with her. Naturally, Shepard was reluctant, not wanting to face another disappointment.

"At least do it for me," Garrus had said. "I want to make sure everything is fine and not getting worse. At least give me the peace of mind."

Shepard had sighed. "Oh fine… as long as you don't accept any more chocolates from Dr. Michel… unless they're levo chocolates."

Garrus laughed at that. "Fair enough."

So Shepard made the call. Not only was Dr. Michel thrilled to hear from her, but the doctor was also willing to look her over in three days. She made the appointment right away.

Two days after Anderson's memorial in London, Shepard and Garrus took a shuttle to Geneva.

After getting out of the port, Shepard took a moment to look around the city. There was still damage being fixed, but it didn't look as badly torn as London had been even a year later. She can only imagine how bad Geneva looked during the war.

Despite being a last-minute trip, Shepard and Garrus were able to secure a suite for a three-day stay at the Hotel Swissotel Metropole Geneva. It was one of the few old places in the city that survived the war without hardly any damage. The hotel was still operational, but the first two floors after the lobby were currently being used as a makeshift hospital (not where Dr. Michel was… she was in another makeshift clinic nearby).

Upon arrival, Shepard felt somewhat guilty once she got a good look at her suite. There was enough space to consider it a one bedroom apartment. Entering the suite immediately took her into the small kitchen with a small living room just beyond it. Large windows overlooked a small park across the road. Just beyond the park was a part of Lake Geneva. Off to the left were two doors… one led to the large bathroom that consisted of a whirlpool bathtub, and the other, of course, led to the large bedroom with the king size bed.

The hotel meant well when they gave up two of their floors for a makeshift hospital, but Shepard wondered if perhaps the other floors could have been used to house those at the refugee camps who have nowhere to go.

"We have a few hours before we head down for dinner," Garrus said as he settled their packed bags next to the bedroom door. He then walked over to her before wrapping his arms around her waist, his hands resting on her stomach. "Is there anything you want to do until then?"

Looking out the window and seeing people walking through the streets, it didn't take long for Shepard to make a decision. "I was thinking about the makeshift hospital downstairs. I thought it would be nice to go down and volunteer for a couple of hours."

Clearly Garrus had another idea as he bent his head down to gently nip at her right shoulder. "Not that I hate the idea… as a matter of fact it's a good one… but I was thinking we can just spend a few hours just… relaxing."

Shepard chuckled as she turned to face him. "As much as I love the way you think, I'm afraid that my idea won't leave me until it's done. However, when we get back from dinner, I promise we'll do _all_ the relaxing you want."

It's was Garrus' turn to chuckle as he leaned down to press his forehead to hers. "All right, sounds good. Besides, I'm sure your presence there will help boost morale for the patients there."

Shepard forced a small smirk. "Maybe."

Ten minutes later, the two arrived on the first floor of the makeshift hospital. They spoke with the leading doctor there, who was, of course, thrilled to have _the_ Commander Shepard and Garrus Vakarian coming to volunteer. It also just so happened that the hospital just received a shipment of new blankets for the long-term patients since many were using old, ratty ones they were able to find through the rubbles. The doctor recommended passing them out to those who most need it, mainly children, the elderly, and those with long-term injuries.

The two split up, each taking one side of the hallway, and began their work. For Garrus, the first room he happened to go into was a room full of young children, six of them, and it took him a couple of seconds to notice that they were all human. All of them immediately turned their heads to stare at him. Some gave him wide-eyed looks, and the others were more curious than anything. Two things were clear to him… one, he was sure that none of these children have ever seen a live turian before, and two; none of them were sure what to think of him.

Then, a young human girl got out of her cot and walked up to him. Garrus had to guess that she was the oldest of the group judging by how tall she was.

"Are you a turian?" she asked innocently.

Garrus managed to nod. "Yes, I am."

"I knew it!" the girl said almost excitedly. "When I was in school, we learned about turians and I always wanted to meet one."

The girl's enthusiasm seemed to ease the tension in the room, and the children with the wide-eyed looks seemed to relax. Garrus thought to smile to assure them that it's okay. Then he remembered that his teeth might seem threatening to them, reminding himself how small human children would be frighten when he saw them during his C-Sec days.

"Why are you here?" the girl asked him.

"The doctor asked me to give you each a new blanket," Garrus explained.

"Good," the girl said. She turned around and pointed to one of the smaller children, a boy who was lying on the cot in the room. "Nate was cold last night."

Garrus got himself down on one knee so that he was at eye level with the child. "Are the doctors and nurses taking good care of you?" he asked.

The girl nodded. "Yeah, it was better than last year since there are less people here now. Some of us were here since last year, that's how bad we were hurt."

As she spoke, Garrus noticed the scars that were left on the girl, mainly the right side of her face (mostly covered by her long brown hair) and her right arm. The scars reminded him of the ones Shepard had as a result of the burns she had, and he guessed that things were grim for the girl for a while. It was also hard to believe that, even a year later, there were still patients here who were still recovering from their injuries right after the war.

Garrus shook the thoughts out of his head. "What's your name?"

"Mitzi."

"How old are you, Mitzi?"

"Ten."

He nodded. "I'm Garrus. Would you like to help me pass out the blankets to the other kids?"

Mitzi nodded almost eagerly. From there, the two got started on the small task. Unknown to Garrus, Shepard had just finished passing out the blanket in the room opposite of the one where the children were. There were only two elderly people in there, both who were asleep when she came in, so the task to give them each a blanket didn't take them long. When she stepped out, Shepard happened to see Garrus interacting with the kids in the room he was in. He managed to get one child to help him pass out the blankets to the other children. Seeing this somehow pulled at Shepard's heartstrings, and she couldn't help the smile that sneaked up on her face.

Passing out the blankets took a bit of time and not just because of Shepard's own injuries. Those who recognized her took the time to thank her for her contribution in the war and each told their story. Some were left with barely any hope knowing that many of those they were close to were gone. Others considered themselves lucky despite losing a lot because there was still at least one loved one who was still alive. It was true that everyone lost somebody in the war; a mother, a father, a brother, a sister, a child, a friend, it was endless… talking to these people made Shepard realize the magnitude of these losses. Casualty lists were one thing, but getting to know the few who were unfortunate to end up on the list was another story. They weren't just numbers… they were people who once had lives to look forward to.

As much as Shepard felt good about brightening these people's days just by visiting them, a part of her felt that she didn't deserve all the praise. Not only were there soldiers just as deserving, but it somewhat served as a reminder of things that did go wrong during her fight.

At least today, she would leave without someone blaming her for what happened in the war. Shepard was aware of the criticism that was out there from the survivors, and she was glad that those she talked to today did not hold any grudges against her.

When it was close to dinner time, Shepard and Garrus decided to depart, and the lead doctor thanked them. Before going, knowing that Shepard was going to see Dr. Michel the next day, he asked if Shepard could broker a trade with Dr. Michel. They had a surplus of medical supplies that would benefit more in a small clinic and they hoped it would be exchanged for supplies they were getting low on.

It reminded Shepard of the time she helped Dr. Chakwas make a trade to exchange basic medical supplies for military grade medical supplies on the Citadel. She was sure the lead doctor had heard about that trade at one time.

"Just like old times," Garrus chuckled as they left the hotel.

* * *

The next day, Shepard found herself at the clinic where Dr. Michel was helping out as the lead doctor. After what happened last time in Toronto, Garrus insisted on accompanying her to the clinic. Shepard let him only because she didn't want what happened in Toronto to occur again, but she did have another reason to be somewhat reluctant…

"Shepard, it's good to see you," Dr. Michel said cheerfully once she entered the room. She then turned her attention to the turian in the room and the doctor's eyes seemed to suddenly brighten. "Garrus! It's been a long time."

As good as Dr. Michel was in her profession, she wasn't one to do a very good job in hiding the fact that she clearly had a crush on Garrus. Shepard didn't really blame her… the whole 'knight-in-shining-armor' was definitely an appealing trait after Garrus helped her out with her situation with Fist and his thugs. That was a time that felt so long ago now. Still, Shepard wondered if the doctor was aware that Garrus was, well, off the market now.

"It has, Dr. Michel," Garrus replied. "How's the clinic?"

"Very good," the doctor answered. "Things here have been running more smoothly once the chaos of the aftermath of the war slowed down. We didn't have lot of volunteers for a while, but the more time passed, the easier it became to help those who needed it."

"Sounds like things are getting better around here," Shepard cut in.

Dr. Michel turned her attention to Shepard. "Indeed it has. How have things been for the both of you?"

"I guess it's been, well, slow and steady concerning my walking these days," Shepard said. "But Garrus has been a great help since I got out of the hospital."

Dr. Michel nodded. "Yes, it's a good idea to have someone with you while you recover, and it's even better when it's someone you know."

Shepard frowned as she remembered something. "Weren't you on the Citadel when… it was brought to Earth?"

The doctor also frowned. "I was. The experience is one I don't wish to repeat anytime soon."

"I can only imagine," Garrus sighed.

"But I was lucky in a way. I had been visiting my brother when the Citadel started to move, and many of us were forced into hiding. If it wasn't for officers like Commander Bailey, a lot of us wouldn't have made it out. He was the one who made sure people like my brother and I got to Earth safely after the Crucible blast."

Shepard's eyes brightened at that. There were a few people she hadn't heard about since she woke up from the hospital, not knowing their fate. The C-Sec commander was one of them. "Bailey's alive?"

Dr. Michel nodded. "Yes. After the blast, we were trapped on the Citadel for about a week before rescue came. Bailey helped many of the civilians to stay calm during the wait. For a while, none of us were sure we'd survive long enough before help arrive."

"That must've been terrifying."

"It was. Now, Bailey's helping out with the rebuilding process on the Citadel."

Hearing that didn't surprise Shepard since Bailey had lived on the Citadel for years. In the back of her mind, she wondered if his ex-wife and their two children made it through the war. He mentioned that they were on Earth when the Reapers hit. The last time she talked to Bailey, he hadn't heard a peep from them.

Dr. Michel raised her left arm to activate her omni-tool. "Okay, let's get started. I have your medical records, but I would like to hear of your current progress from you."

"Let's see, where to begin…" Shepard started to say. "I've had multiple surgeries to make it possible for me to even walk at all. It's limited, but it's been improving. As my records may show, I have bolts and rods holding my bones together and one doctor thinks that even with future surgical improvements, there's a possibility that I may never walk right again depending on how my body recovers. I had upgrades after… the attack on the first Normandy, but the ones in my legs shut down after we won the Reaper War."

"I see," Dr. Michel said as she typed in some notes on her omni-tool. "If I may, when it comes time for improvements, I do have one suggestion when you want to consider your options. Has your last doctor mentioned about possibly using artificial bones?"

Shepard shook her head. "No, she hasn't. I can guess that these artificial bones would replace the real ones."

"Precisely," Dr. Michel replied as she brought up a sample picture of one that looked like a femur bone. "They're basically bone grafts that flex and endure like real bones. I wouldn't recommend replacing all of the ones in your legs with them right away, but we can at least focus on the weaker bones first. The reason for my recommendation is to make sure that there aren't any complications."

"What kind of complications?" asked Garrus.

"Despite the latest technology, there's still the possibility of Shepard's body rejecting the replacements. The rejection could also possibly make her walking situation worse than it is now."

Shepard sighed. "Well… I guess when it comes to medical, there's always a risk."

"True," Dr. Michel agreed. "But of course, that is why we offer this as something to think about. Even the bolts and rods you have now pose a risk, as I'm sure you already know, with the possibility of them breaking or causing even more pain later. Since your body is still recovering, I wouldn't advise having this procedure done now, but when the time comes, it's something to think about when you are ready for it."

"At least I know the option is there," Shepard said. "I was lucky my body accepted the cybernetics in the first place, so if I decide to do this, I just hope that I'll have the same luck."

Dr. Michel nodded. "Now, as you know, you still do have a long recovery judging from your x-rays. My advice is to continue with your physical therapy. I would also like for you to come see me again in three months if possible. Please do update me if there are any changes."

Garrus helped Shepard back on her feet before she reached out to shake Dr. Michel's hand. "Thank you, doctor. We'll try to come back if it's possible."

"You're welcome. I was happy to help." She then turned her attention to Garrus and Shepard didn't miss how her smile widened. "It was good to see you again, Garrus."

"Same here, Dr. Michel."

Once they were both outside the clinic, Garrus didn't miss the fact that Shepard was glaring at him. He noticed that there was something off about it and he couldn't really pinpoint exactly what it was.

"What?" he asked clearly confused.

"Oh come on!" Shepard called out. "Dr. Michel totally has a crush on you."

Garrus raised his browplates at that. "No she doesn't. She's a good doctor and a friend who I happened to help out during my C-Sec days. Considering how I saved her life, she's clearly grateful."

"Well that _definitely_ explains the turian chocolates she got you last year."

"There's nothing wrong with getting a gift from a friend who saw said gift and thought of me. Why is that a problem?"

Shepard sighed over that, giving up. "Oh, nothing."

* * *

Later, in the middle of the night, Garrus woke up from a deep slumber, noting how dark the bedroom was in the suite. He wasn't quite sure if he had been dreaming moments ago, but considering how calm he was feeling upon opening his eyes, he was sure that he didn't have a nightmare.

Still feeling tired, he lazily reached over to where he knew Shepard was asleep. Instead, her spot was cold and empty and a brief surge of panic shot through his nerves as he sat up from the bed. He looked around the room before his eyes settled on the closed bathroom door, one of two doors that connected to the room. At the bottom of the door, he saw the light on through the crack, and Garrus immediately relaxed. He just happened to wake up when she decided to use the bathroom. That was all.

'_She's alive, she's okay_,' he reminded himself as he lied back down on his side in the bed. '_I have to stop panicking like that…_'

Briefly, he looked at the clock and saw that it was just past two thirty in the morning. Knowing that Shepard will be back in bed any minute, he attempted to go back to sleep.

It felt like a few minutes when Garrus woke up again. He saw that Shepard's side of the bed was still empty. Although he still felt groggy, he gazed over at the clock again. His eyes widened upon seeing what time it was now.

A half hour had passed.

Garrus knew at this point that something was wrong. Getting out of bed, he quietly walked over to the closed door. Once within reach, he gently knocked a couple of times on the door. "Shepard? Are you okay?"

He was met with silence, and he didn't hear a sound beyond the door. Although his heart was racing at this point, he remained calm as he knocked again. "Shepard?"

Once again, there was no answer and no sound. Garrus reached for the doorknob and turned it to open the door. To his relief, she didn't lock it behind her.

The first place he looked was the whirlpool tub and that's where he found her. She was sitting right in the middle of it in a fetal position, the tub halfway filled with water. Her arms were wrapped around her legs as her forehead rested just between her knees.

Garrus had inhale deeply to calm his nerves. Seeing Shepard like this hurt, especially since the last two days had been good for both of them. He guessed that she most likely had an intense nightmare and it was something that she couldn't get out of her head.

Getting down on his knees next to the tub, Garrus reached over to gently touch her upper arm. The touch was clearly something Shepard wasn't expecting by the way she jumped and gasped. Her head rose quickly, and her wide eyes scanned her surroundings in panic for a moment. She relaxed upon seeing her turian.

"Shit… Garrus," she muttered. "Sorry… I… I'm all right."

"Shepard…" Garrus whispered with worry, knowing that she wasn't telling the truth.

Shepard realized this and she sighed, her shoulders drooping. "Nightmare… the… time I took out that Reaper on Rannoch… only… I didn't succeed and… it killed everyone on ground…"

As she talked, Garrus stood up and shed the pants he had worn to bed. With that out of the way, he stepped into the tub, grateful for the amount of room it had so that the both of them would sit together comfortably. Ignoring how cold the water was, he sat down behind her, his legs on either side of her before he used his arms to pull her to him so that her back rested against his chest. To his relief, she responded by turning a little before resting against him, leaning her head back against the left side of his cowl.

He heard Shepard inhale as she reached up to gently massage the scarred side of his neck. "I know that… it'll take a while for me to get over the things that haunt me… hell, who knows if that'll ever happen."

"With the things you've seen, it's… well, bound to happen."

Shepard huffed at that as she moved her head away from his cowl, though her hand still massaged his neck. "Yeah… I wish it wasn't but, well, I guess it does make me more… human, I suppose. Right now, I'm haunted by decisions that caused a life… Ashley on Virmire…"

"Saren didn't give you much of a choice to save both her and Kaidan. And you said it yourself… you had to make sure the bomb went off…"

"I know… but it doesn't make it easier." Shepard took another deep breath. "I… regret not finding a way to intervene when Thane fought Kai Leng. I know I would have potentially made the situation worse if I tried… they were both moving so fast that if I tried to shoot, I could've shot Thane by mistake… and he dies anyway…"

"You got the bastard in the end," Garrus reminded her.

"Yes I did. I do wish there was a way to save Mordin and Legion, but… when I think about it now, I realized that their sacrifice was what they had chosen. Both of them would have chosen another way if they could, but they both saw no alternative in their goals.

"Still… when the dreams in that dark forest come… I hear their voices… Ashley telling me to get Kaidan and go, Mordin telling me that someone else might have gotten it wrong, Thane's prayers to Kalahira for my sake, and Legion asking me if he had a soul. Anderson's there too, now… telling me how proud he was of me." Shepard closed her eyes, the tears she had held back leaking out. She bowed her head, and though she wasn't bawling, the tears continued to fall. She felt Garrus' arms around her tighten before he buried his face in the junction between her neck and shoulder.

"It sounds like… they don't blame you," Garrus guessed. "You said you don't see the boy anymore?"

Shepard slowly nodded. "Yeah."

Garrus had a theory of why. "Didn't he represent the innocent you couldn't save?"

"Yeah… but I stopped blaming myself over their loss a while ago because I realized that it was out of my control."

"There you go… you still blame yourself for their deaths and that's why you still hear them in your dreams. I think they're trying to tell you that what happened to them wasn't your fault. I know it won't happen overnight, but if you make peace with it, it's possible that they won't haunt you with their voices anymore."

Shepard opened her eyes. "I… never thought of that. It doesn't explain why the boy would go on fire every time, but… well…" She shrugged a little before she turned her head to him. "How did you figure that out?"

It was Garrus' turn to take a deep breath as he raised his head up a little. "Omega."

Shepard frowned at that, realizing what he meant. Still, she let him talk. "For weeks after I came back on the Normandy, I was barely able to sleep. When I did sleep, I would find myself back in the apartment and see the faces of my dead team… Butler, Montague, Melanis, Sensat, Grundan Krul, Erash, Vortash, Weaver, Mierin, and Ripper… they never said anything and only stared… for a long time, I had thought they were accusing me, blaming me for what happened to them…

"After we dealt with Sidonis… you made me realize that I was letting what happened swallow me… and I think my team knew that, and it explained why it looked like they were accusing me… they knew I would go after Sidonis and they knew it was without a clear head. When I slept that night, they finally spoke, saying the things they used to say during our run… I realized after a while of having the same dreams that they were trying to tell me that I shouldn't blame myself for what happened. When I finally made peace… the dreams stopped.

"It won't happen overnight… it didn't happen with me… but when you're ready to make peace… their voices may stop."

"Maybe," Shepard finally said quietly. "But you're right… it won't happen overnight. Still… it won't stop the other nightmares."

"I know… I… know."

The way Garrus hesitated when he said that caught Shepard's attention. "Garrus? I know you have nightmares too, but you hardly talk about them…"

He buried his face in her shoulder again. "I don't want to burden you."

"Garrus… remember what you said not long after we moved into the cabin? Neither one of us should hold back what's bothering us? If we let it build, it'll just make things worse."

"I know, I'm sorry… it's just… you have a lot of deal with and-"

"Garrus…" He could've sworn that he heard the undertone of her commander voice when she said his name that time. Even he knew better than to defy her when she used that voice.

"I…" he started to say. "Sometimes dreamed about losing my Dad and sister… I thought I had at one point and… after my Mom died, losing them in less than a year would have been my breaking point…"

Shepard frowned at that, remembering one evening when she came to visit him in the main battery and ended up walking in the middle of call between him and his father. He and Solana were trying to get to the evacuations shuttles, but they weren't sure if they would make it. Then the call cut off. He tried to brush it off when she tried to talk to him, and he even tried to convince her that he needed to be alone, but she was having none of that. He had comforted her too many times to count during difficult moments, but now it was her turn to return the favor. She almost expected him to lash out. Instead, he keened in front of her and in her arms for the first time since they've known each other. Later, she would learn that his emotions were building up for some time between his home world burning, wondering if he'll ever see his father and sister again, and the loss of comrades and friends. Worse, he never had the chance, until that moment, to mourn the loss of his mother, who had died before the war. And although he never said it, Shepard had a feeling that there was one other fear… the fear of losing her to the war. The vid call was, what she called, the straw that broke the camel's back.

"I… also dream of what could've happened to you during the war…" Garrus continued. Well, that confirmed his fears of losing her during the war. "Rannoch? You scared the hell out of me that day. I know which was worse, that or Tuchanka with the Thresher Maw. And the two times I thought you were dead? Yeah… I still have nightmares about it. Sometimes, I wonder what could've happened if I had been on the SR1 the day it was attacked. Could I have found a way to make sure you got on the escape pod or helped get Joker on instead?"

"You know damn well I would've ordered you back on the ship," Shepard said. "And you know damn well that you would've listened to me."

Garrus sighed. "You're right… I would've…"

"And honestly? I was glad you were back on the Citadel. It made it easy for me to know that you were okay."

"But it still wasn't easy for me…"

The hand rubbing his neck moved the scarred mandible. A frown appeared on Shepard's face, and her eyebrows furrowed with guilt. "I'm sorry…"

Garrus shook his head. "No… don't be sorry. None of us, even you, knew what would've happened."

"Okay. And Garrus… you mentioned that you thought I was dead twice… you still think about those first few months?"

Garrus slowly nodded. "I… keep having this dream… about when you put me back on the Normandy during the beam run…"

He heard her draw in a sharp breath at that, but he continued despite the lump that was starting to develop in his throat. "The dreams are different sometimes… sometimes, you wouldn't make it and Harbinger would…"

Shepard leaned her head slightly against the first long spine of his fringe and briefly kissed the base of it. "I'm here now… I'm ok… we're okay… we're here for each other now…"

Garrus' hold tightened more, and she could feel him shivering. Apparently, there were feeling he held back for too long and Shepard knew that he need to let it out. They've talked a little bit about the aftermath of the war, but not in too much detail. "Talk to me, Garrus," she whispered.

He inhaled before speaking. "Those… four months were worse than the two years you were gone. I… tried to numb myself from the what-ifs. The crew tried to talk to me, but I kept brushing them off. Remember the plaque they made for you for the memorial? I… just couldn't put it up, it made it so final. I… don't know if I ever told you this, but, when we finally left to get back to Earth, I… I grieved in the cabin for two days and I couldn't help but think of the injustice fate gave you and-"

At this point, Shepard could hear the flanging of Garrus' subharmonics, the memories clearly upsetting him. She put most emphasis on the massage she was giving him on his mandible, eventually moving back to his neck to feeling his leathery skin under her fingers. As she did, she planted a few kisses on his face and she could feel his mandibles twitching against her bare shoulder.

"I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere," she whispered. "For what it's worth… I'm so sorry for putting you through that pain…"

Shepard realized as Garrus started to shake that the pain he felt for those four months during their separation, along with all of his other fears, trauma, and loss, were still raw. Her own heart broke as she realized that after all this time since the end of the war that Garrus didn't have much of a chance to talk about his own PSTD. He had held her when she was down, encouraged her whenever she was unsure, and comforted her when she awoke shaking from her nightmares. Even though they were off the battle field, he always had her six.

She had a feeling that helping her get through her recovery and PSTD was a way for him to bury his own demons, letting himself not think about it. He was always helping her when she needed it, but he neglected in making sure he had the same help.

Shepard placed another kiss on his head. "I love you. I know that I have a road long to recovery, but you do, too. Don't think that just because you think I have it worse, that doesn't mean that I can't help you. If something's bothering you, you talk to me, okay?"

Shepard didn't think Garrus' hold on her could get any tighter, but it did and now she could hear the quiet keen vibrating against her skin. "I love you so much," he managed to say before the keening took over again.

Shepard shed her own quiet tears, but it didn't stop her from leaning her face into the side of his head and caressing her hand over his scarred mandible. For a while, they were both like this since Shepard knew that Garrus' needed this release. For months, he held her up when she was down. Now it was her turn to hold him.


	12. The Shadow Broker

**A/N: This chapter contains mild spoilers for the Citadel DLC.**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve – The Shadow Broker**

"Morning, Shepard," said Garrus as entered the kitchen. He then leaned down to kiss the top of his lover's head.

Shepard smiled warmly at him, almost glad that she didn't take a bite of her meal right before that. "Good morning. Do you want anything for breakfast?"

"Nah, I'm fine with just a cup of kava," Garrus insisted. As though proving his point, he walked over to the coffee machine to start it up.

"So-"

"I-"

The both of them turned to look at each other as they realized they started to talk at the same time. Both of them smiled at each other with a light chuckle. It was definitely not the first time they did that.

"You first," Shepard quickly said.

"All right," Garrus said as he placed the dextro kava beans into the machine. "So I got a message from my Dad this morning."

Shepard looked up with interest. "Oh? What does he have to say?"

Garrus then placed his cup under the machine before pressing the button to let it begin grinding and brewing. He then walked over to the small table and sat in front of Shepard.

"How do you feel about going to Palaven in, say… two weeks?"

Shepard shrugged a little at that. "Why not? I assume your Dad wants us to visit?"

"Not only that," Garrus replied as he fiddled with his fingers a little. "But, well, my Dad is arranging a sort of… family reunion."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Who else aside from Solana?"

"Well, we'll finally meet her mate, Xarius," Garrus reminded her. "But mainly it'll be my Uncle Gallus, my Dad's younger brother, Aunt Aricia, and their sons, my cousins."

"Oh boy," Shepard sighed as she rested her head on her hand. She then smirked. "Well… are you sure they won't think that my presence will cause some sort of diplomatic incident?"

Garrus chuckled. "It'll be okay, Shepard. Believe it or not, Uncle Gallus is a little more easy-going compared to my Dad. He dated an asari once before I was born… needless to say, it didn't work. If anyone understands interspecies romance, it's him."

"I'm still not comforted by that," Shepard said. "Apparently any species dating an asari is more widely accepted than a turian-human relationship."

"We've never let that stop us before."

Shepard smiled. "True. Tell me about your cousins."

Garrus sighed a little. "Well… there were three of them. The youngest is Arek, he's about my age and practically one of my closest friends growing up. We even went to boot camp together. I haven't heard from him in a while, but as far as I know, he hasn't married yet. Then there's the middle child, Caius. He and his bondmate Drenya have two children, Calix and Zorana."

Garrus then looked down at the table. "The oldest was Cyllis. He and his bondmate Delphia had a son, Cassius. They… didn't make it through the war."

Shepard frowned as he took his hand. "I'm sorry, Garrus."

Garrus turned his hand so that their fingers intertwined. "No need to be sorry. From what Dad told me, they were lucky in a way… they died on the first day, so they never had to see the brunt of it all. We can only hope that they didn't suffer… or… turn into a marauder."

Shepard sucked in a breath at that. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that the husks, marauders, banshees, cannibals, pretty much all of those Reaper troops were once a person. Perhaps it was best to not think about it… it was better than thinking of the possibility that one of them could have been someone they once knew…

Garrus forced himself to grin at Shepard. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure Solana told them all about us, so at least they'll be prepared."

Shepard snorted at that. "Maybe."

"You're not scared, are you?"

Shepard smiled a little. "It's always naturally to feel nervous over meeting your boyfriend's family."

"True."

Finally, Shepard nodded. "All right, buy tickets for transport. In two weeks you said?"

Garrus activated his omni-tool to purchase transport tickets. "Yeah."

Shepard chuckled. "We just got back from Europe just last week."

"Hey, I didn't realize my Dad wanted to see us so soon. Oh, and we also have to get you an enviro-suit… radiation isn't very merciful to your delicate, human skin."

Shepard eyed him for that. "Since you put it that way, I'm just going to go without it. I'm sure an SP +5000 sun tan lotion exists somewhere."

"Whether you like it or not, you're wearing the suit," Garrus insisted. "Don't worry, it's only when we're outside."

Shepard sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Uh huh," Garrus grumbled. After finishing with purchasing tickets, he decided to change the subject. "What was it you wanted to say earlier?"

"Hmm? Oh! I got a message from Liara this morning."

Garrus' eyes widened at that. "Oh? What does she have to say?"

Shepard folded her arms on the table in front of her. "She so happens to be here in the Sol system as we speak."

"Really?"

"Yup. She's actually arrived to collect a few spare supplies on behalf of Thessia. And since she'll be here, she had hoped to come visit us tonight if possible. I didn't reply yet because I wanted to talk to you about it first."

"Of course she can visit," Garrus nodded. "Just don't encourage her to bring all of her Shadow Broker equipment."

Shepard laughed. "I think the worst she'll bring is a luggage full of datapads and maybe Glyph. However… she did mention that she'll be bringing a guest with her."

"Huh," Garrus said curiously. "Did she say who it was?"

Shepard shrugged. "She didn't say, but with the mention of fish, I'm going to assume it is Feron. Seafood is considered a staple in drell diet if I remember correctly. It'll be nice, though… we haven't seen Feron since we helped Liara take down the last Shadow Broker."

Garrus snorted at that. "Sorry I missed it. I was too busy being knocked out cold after the yahg introduced his desk to my head."

Shepard couldn't help the smirk on her face. "Yeah… that had to suck."

Garrus feigned hurt as he pulled back and placed a hand over his heart. "Why Shepard, I thought you'd be more worried about me."

Shepard's face turned a little serious. "Heck yeah I was. At the time though, I was more pissed off than anything. Did I tell you the first thing I said to the yahg after that happened?"

Garrus shook his head. "No."

Shepard smirked again. "I said to him…" Her voice then went low and almost menacing. "'Oh… _you_ are going down.'"

Garrus smiled. "Ah, so you did care."

Shepard reached across the table and playfully slapped him, grateful that he was wearing civilian clothing for once. "Hey, I hugged you when you woke up, remember?"

Garrus reached for her hand again to grasp it. "It still would've been nice to help you and Liara."

Shepard shrugged. "I know, but needless to say, we managed."

* * *

Later around noon, Shepard and Garrus went into town to get a few food supplies in preparation for Liara's arrival. At the levo store, Shepard remembered that Liara enjoyed salmon, so she purchased a few filets. For a side, she settled with a box of wild rice. Shepard then decided to compliment the dinner with Zinfandel wine.

At the dextro store, Garrus decided that it would make sense to have his own kind of fish as well. The market actually had its own fish tank to store a very popular fish that reminded Shepard of smaller barracudas, only they were a teal color. Shepard could only watch with both fascination and horror as the fish Garrus picked out was killed by decapitation, skinned, and cleaned before being packaged.

Well… at least it was fresh.

Because it was the first time Garrus got the fish since moving to their cabin, he offered to help Shepard cook tonight's dinner.

"How come?" Shepard asked curiously as she began to collect ingredients to get dinner ready to cook.

Garrus was grabbing his own ingredients for his dinner. "Well, I… want to show you how to make the fish the way my mother used to make it." He then pulled out a small container that had purplish herbs in it. "The number one thing to remember is to use two tablespoons of this stuff per fish. It has a somewhat salty taste that balances out the sweetness of the fish. It's actually dual chirality if you want to try it."

"Okay," Shepard said with a nod. "Not tonight when we have guests, but perhaps another night I'll try it."

Then a thought came to her. "Say, you told me about your Dad's side of the family. What about your Mom's?"

Garrus placed the container down on the counter as he began remove the wrapper from his dextro fish while Shepard arranged the levo ingredients and measuring equipment. "Solana and I were always closer to Dad's side of the family, but that's only because Mom's side lived on another part of Palaven. I really liked going there because they lived close to the Danorian Spires. If they're still there, I'd like to take you there someday. It's quite a sight.

"Anyway, my Mom was also the oldest and had two siblings; Aunt Nelia and Uncle Jairus. Nelia, unfortunately, lost her bondmate, Quintus, to the war… he… was stationed on our other moon, Nanus. Uncle Jairus didn't make it out, either. He didn't have a bondmate, but he had a mate who I only met once, Kacia. Well… it's more like we haven't heard from them since the end of the war and are assuming the worst."

"Any cousins?"

Garrus nodded. "Tavius, Aunt Nelia and Uncle Quintus's son. He's bonded to Lela and they have a daughter, Accallia."

"Huh," Shepard said as she realized something. "I just realized out of all of you and your cousins, Solana's the only girl."

Garrus had to chuckle at that. "Yeah, um, I remember Mom telling me how my paternal grandmother was thrilled when Solana was born. Of course, it was because Solana ended up being the first and only granddaughter. Of my grandparents' generation, my Mom's aunt is still alive as well as my Dad's uncle and aunt."

Shepard almost felt dizzy. "I have a feeling that I'm going to lose track of your family members."

Garrus laughed as he wrapped an arm around her. "You'll be fine, Shepard. And don't worry… they'll love you once they get to know you beyond saving the galaxy. You have to admit, that is a nice bonus."

"Maybe."

Later, the two were just pulling the dinner out of the oven when the doorbell rang. Shepard insisted on getting the door while Garrus began to set the table.

"Coming!" Shepard called out. Soon, she was able to reach the handle of the door and open it. She was met with the smiling face of Dr. Liara T'Soni.

"Shepard," Liara said. "It's good to see you."

The asari stepped forward and the two shared an embrace. "It's good to see you too, Liara. How is-"

Shepard suddenly stopped as she noticed the guest Liara brought with her. The person stood there with their arms folded in front of them, their eyes staring at Shepard. Her own eyes widen and her jaw nearly dropped to the floor because the guest was not who she expected.

"Javik?!"

Despite the surprise in Shepard's voice, Javik simply nodded as though it didn't matter. "Commander."

For a brief moment, Shepard had it in mind to grab the Prothean and pull him into a hug. However, she pushed the idea out quickly, figuring that Javik wouldn't really appreciate the gesture. Instead, she settled with a handshake, which Javik returned.

"It's good to see you," Shepard managed to say. By then, Garrus was approaching the door. He took gave Liara brief hug and also was shocked to see the Prothean right behind her.

"Well I'll be damned," Garrus managed to say as he reached to shake Javik's hand as well. "It's been a long time."

Javik nodded after shaking the turian's hand. "It has, though you shouldn't feel surprise to see me."

"That's only because I didn't tell them that you were the guest," Liara informed him. "I wanted to surprise them."

Javik seemed to huff at that. "Surprises… in my cycle, surprises were considered dangerous and potentially deadly."

Shepard couldn't help but smirk as she shook her head. She couldn't believe how much she almost missed Javik's pessimistic views and his 'in my cycle' stories.

The last time Shepard spoke to Javik was in London right before the run to the beam. He had informed her that when it was all over, he would go to the Croatian Nebula to rejoin his dead crew, feeling that his purpose in life was finished. There were a lot of questions in her mind, but Shepard decided to hold off on them for now.

"Either way," Javik continued. "It's… good to see you both." Naturally, Shepard and Garrus were little taken aback by the admission, but either way, they nodded to him in reply.

"Come on in," Garrus insisted. "Dinner's just about ready."

Soon, the four of them sat at the table in the kitchen. It was a bit of a tight fit, but they all managed to get it to where they didn't end up bumping each other white cutting the food on their plate.

"So I haven't heard a lot about the recovery on Thessia," Shepard said. "How is that going?"

"Not as bad as I initially imagined," Liara replied. "I… guess it was a blessing in a way that the Reapers came to Thessia close to the end of the war. The major cities were hit the hardest of course as well as our perimeters, but plenty of the suburbs further away from the cities were barely touched by the time the Crucible was activated. I personally arranged to make sure that the refugees there have a roof over their heads and many of the homes in the suburbs were used for that purpose."

Shepard nodded at that, glad to hear how Liara continues to help the refugees, something she subtly suggested to Liara after Thessia's fall. "And how has your government been?"

"They've received a lot of criticism for holding back the knowledge that could have saved many worlds had they shared it sooner. However, it seems be overshadowed by the criticism the salarian government have been getting."

"I remember there was a lot of tension between their politicians and STG," Garrus said.

Liara nodded. "Yes. STG knew that they couldn't sit back so they joined with allied forces anyway without the Dalatrass' approval. That was before you helped save Councilor Valern of course."

Shepard shook her head at this. Hearing stuff like this always reminded her why she hated politics. It's amazing to think how one politician's paranoia over what _may_ happen could affect so many.

Javik suddenly changed the subject as his four eyes gazed his surroundings. "Have you put up defenses around your fortress?"

"It's a house, Javik, not a fortress," Garrus corrected him. "We've got a sniper perch up in the attic, an alarm system, trip wires for the door and windows, cameras installed outside, and of course, we have our pistols hidden and stored in every reachable place you can think of.

Javik just happened to reach under the table. He quickly found what he was looking for and pulled his hand out to reveal Shepard's M-6 Carnifex, a heavy pistol that Mordin Solus had given to her when they first met on Omega.

Javik nodded in approval. "Very good. However, it's not good enough."

Garrus let out an exasperated sigh. "I am not surprised you said that. So tell me, why isn't it good enough?"

"You should carry a gun with you at all times," Javik suggested. "Even if you are a foot away from the nearest weapon, the enemy can still approach and it may be too late."

"It's only too late if said enemy was cloaked to begin with."

Garrus should've sworn that Javik was smirking. "That this why I have four eyes."

Garrus pointed at his visor. "I'll have you know that I don't wear this just to make a fashion statement."

"And here I thought that's what you've been doing this whole time," Shepard said with a smirk.

Garrus eyed her. "Very funny, Shepard. Hey, speaking of home defense, I was thinking about calling Zaeed one of these days to see if he had any new suggestions for this place."

Shepard's eyes widened at that and her smirk faded. "Ooooh no you don't!"

"Why not?" Liara asked curiously.

"Because the last thing I need is to accidentally drink cyanide from the faucet or have kitchen appliances explode in my face."

"Hey, I said I could put a timer on it," Garrus reminded her.

Shepard sighed. "How about we just get a guard varren and call it a day?"

Garrus seemed to fold his arms across his chest in defiance. "Not an option. The varren might decide to have Felix for lunch."

Now Liara was confused. "Felix?"

"Our pet cat," Shepard explained. "He's probably hiding somewhere in the house as we speak."

Javik shook his head. "What good is this 'cat' if they only hide?"

"He kills bugs and rodents," Shepard replied.

"In other words, he focuses on smaller nuisances while we worry about bigger intruders," Garrus added.

Liara managed to speak up before Javik said anything. "Has he tried to get to your hamster?"

Shepard snorted. "All the damn time."

For a few minutes afterwards, the four of them focused on eating their dinner. Shepard had noticed Javik picking at his food a little, but he did finish half his plate by the end of it. He always did seem to eat like a bird, but Shepard figured it was either because he usually preferred to eat alone, or because he was still trying to get used to the food of this cycle.

Soon, Garrus finally asked the question that was on Shepard's mind. "So Javik, what happened to you? Shepard told me that you were on your way to the Croatian Nebula months ago."

"I was almost there too," Javik mentioned. He then turned his head to glare at Liara. "She stopped me."

"I wasn't about to let you throw your life away," Liara explained.

"So what changed your mind?" Shepard asked.

Javik leaned back in the chair he was sitting on. "She convinced me that I should give myself the chance to live in peace… if not for me, then at least for my people, those who never had the chance to know what peace felt like." He glared at Liara again. "She pesters too much."

"Even now you need pestering," Liara said.

Shepard snorted at this. '_Kasumi's right… they do argue like an old married couple_.' She almost wanted to voice that out loud, but decided that it wasn't necessary right now.

"Have you started on that… project you wanted to start?" Shepard asked.

Liara was almost confused by the question, but then she quickly realized what Shepard was asking. "Oh yes, the book I wanted to write. Yes, we actually started, 'Journeys with a Prothean,' very recently. Right now, we've been discussing about the Prothean civilization before their Reaper war."

Javik shrugged. "I needed the job."

"Oh hush," Liara said. "Besides, you said it yourself, you enjoy writing the book with me."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that I have to admit it."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with admitting something you genuinely like," Shepard mentioned.

"Perhaps."

"Hey, can I make a suggestion for the book?" Garrus questioned.

Liara smiled. "Sure, Garrus. What is it?"

"Well, if you ever need a promotional quote in the back of the book, have it say, 'I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite book in the galaxy!'"

Shepard immediately rolled her eyes at that. "Yeah, yeah…"

"That reminds me," Liara said. "Where did that… idea come from? I hear Garrus and Tali say similar things all the time, but I haven't had the chance to inquire."

"Well, back when we were with Cerberus," Shepard began to answer. Saying, 'Cerberus' always gave her a bad taste in her mouth, but she ignored it. "Whenever we went to the shops on Zakera Ward, I would visit a store and offer to advertise in exchange for a discount."

"Except every store we went to would say, 'I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite store on the Citadel,'" Garrus added.

"That was foolish," Javik pointed out. "The enemy could have potentially waited for you at a store knowing that it was your favorite."

Shepard smirked at him. "And aside from getting a discount, that's another reason why my promotion was heard in multiple stores… to confuse the enemy."

There was a long silence follow that as Javik gave Shepard a blank stare. No one could guess what the Prothean was thinking at this point.

Then, Javik opened his mouth. "Touché."

That got a laugh from everyone.

* * *

Later, Shepard realized that Javik had more than his share of the wine she bought earlier today. She had to guess that, back in his cycle, there wasn't much alcohol to be passed around and there was a good chance that the Prothean currently passed out on the living room couch didn't have much of an opportunity to indulge until this cycle.

"Only four glasses and he's out like a light," Garrus sighed. "I hate to think what would happen if we gave him the hard stuff, or worse, ryncol."

"Better if we don't find out." Shepard said.

"I wouldn't mind going outside for some fresh air," Liara suggested.

"You two go ahead," Garrus encouraged. "I'll keep Javik occupied in case he wakes up."

"Just make sure he does wake up and then pass out again in the master bathroom," Shepard said as thy both went outside.

On the front porch, they sat in the two wicker chairs separated by the small matching table. Liara gazed at the view. From this point, it was mainly a field with a few trees and a couple of houses her and there. "This is nice," she admitted. "I can see why you both chose to live here."

"Well, Garrus actually chose this place," Shepard mentioned. "But we both like it. It's quiet and peacefully. It's… something we both kind of need right now. Don't get me wrong, I miss being a soldier, but it's nice to see what peace looks like."

"I almost forget that myself," Liara said. "But for right now, I'm content with my work."

"Speaking of your work, were you able to find a place to store your equipment after you left the Normandy?" Shepard asked.

"I did," Liara replied. "I managed to salvage a small ship so I can keep my operations running. The best past is that unlike the ship on Hagalaz, its space worthy. Now I can travel to where I'm most needed without leaving anything behind."

"It also makes it harder for anyone to track you," Shepard said.

Liara chuckled. "That's exactly what Javik said."

"Hey, I have to admit, when you mentioned that you were bringing a guest, I initially thought it was Feron."

"I had a feeling you thought of him," Liara said. "But Feron is doing well. He's been helping with recovery in nearby colonies. Most of my surviving agents have been doing the same since I re-established contact with them."

"Speaking of contact," Shepard started to say. "Just remember that you can contact me at any time. If things start getting stressful and you need to talk, I'm just a vid-call away."

Liara nodded. "I'll be all right, but I appreciate the thought. Besides, with Javik around, it's not like I'm alone on the ship."

Shepard smiled. "You two must… bicker quite a bit."

Liara sighed, but there was a soft smile on her own face. "Only when we're not working on the book."

They both fell quite for a few moments until Shepard turned to her asari friend. "Hey, out of curiosity, you didn't happen to bring a datapad with scoop on me, did you?"

Liara to give her a knowing look before she handed her a datapad Shepard noticed she brought outside with her. "There have been news articles about your volunteer work in Geneva and your attendance to Anderson's memorial service. That's the recent stuff. Other than that, there's only other thing I'm sure you haven't heard of yet. It was a vid-call. I was only able to dig up texts, but it should get the message clear."

Shepard took the datapad in her hand and began to read its contents;

_Ambassador Calyn: With enthusiasm, I recommend naming the newest built office plaza on Ottan after Commander Shepard._

_Salezo: Unsure, why?_

_Ambassador Calyn: With heavy heart, because it was Commander Shepard who helped us with extracting our soldiers and civilians when all others turned us away. With enthusiasm, this will be one of many ways that we can honor the savior of the galaxy._

_Salezo: Unsure, I will discuss this with the other diplomats. We will call you later once we have an answer._

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Wow, so now all I need is schools named after me."

Liara chuckled at that. "That wouldn't surprise me."

Still, Shepard smiled. "I was glad to help the elcor when I did. I didn't expect anything in return from them… from anyone, really."

"The galaxy does have their way of thanking you," Liara said. She then looked at Shepard. "My personal thanks are simply with words… if I live to be a thousand, my adventures with you will be one I will never forget. I learned so much from you. I still wish I could've joined you when you were stuck with Cerberus when I was on Illium."

Shepard patted her shoulder. "Thanks. And don't worry about Illium… like I've said before, you made up for it."

Liara smiled as she leaned back against the chair. "I still have the box containing information about the galaxy. I'm glad I'll never need to distribute it."

"Me, too."

Liara then turned her head to look at her Commander. "So… do you want me to inform you if any other buildings and places are named after you?"

Shepard shook her head, though she couldn't help her smirk. "Nah… just tell me anything that needs my immediate attention."

Liara nodded. "All right."


	13. Palaven

**Chapter Thirteen – Palaven**

For the first time since before the final assault in London during the Reaper War, Shepard found herself looking at the stars from a space ship. There was a faint, blue glow in front of the window due to the ship's FTL travel, but one could still see the glittering stars beyond that. Although Shepard was fine with the life she had now, seeing the sight made her realize how much she missed the sight of the empty void beyond the window.

Garrus had booked them a private room when he brought tickets for a transport to Palaven. He figured that Shepard would not only appreciate the privacy, but also the fact that they won't have to worry too much about running into other passengers who could either praise or scold her for her actions in the war.

At this point, they had been on the ship for only a few hours. Neither of them slept well last night, but that was mainly from the anticipation of visiting Garrus' home world for two weeks. Garrus was looking forward to seeing his family after so long. Shepard was nervous about meeting his extended family, glad to have already met his father and sister.

They both watched through the window as the ship took off from the spaceport and Earth became smaller and smaller until it was nothing more than a small dot. It wasn't long before they went through the Sol system's mass relay, one of the few amongst the galaxy completely repaired since the end of the war. Because of that, the next part of the trip would take the ship two days to travel before they reached the next repaired mass relay. That relay would take them straight to the relay to Trebia, where Palaven was located.

Once they went through the first relay, Garrus and Shepard chose that time to take a small nap. However, Shepard found that she couldn't relax, baffled to realize that the hum of the engines was keeping her awake. The noise had helped her sleep back on the Normandy. Any place without some form of white noise would keep her awake. Now, it looks like the two facts had been switched.

It's definitely been way too long since she was last on a ship.

So while Garrus caught up with his own nap, Shepard went over to the window to admire the stars. She thought about her talks with the asari justicar Samara whenever she visited her in the Starboard Observation room. Samara had visited her once in the hospital after she woke up from her coma, thanking her for seeing the end of the war and that it had been an honor to know her. Samara intended to go to Lesuss to keep her promise to see her last surviving daughter, Falere. Samara did message Shepard afterwards, letting her know that Falere was safe and reminded her that she will come whenever Shepard called.

Shepard also thought about when she looked into space during her first ride on the Normandy SR1, mainly the view of Earth as it became smaller and smaller the further the ship went out. As a new XO, she remembered feeling both excited and nervous.

Shepard tried not to think about the time when she was spaced…

It wasn't very long before Garrus joined her at the window. It turned out he wasn't able to nap either. "Why do I get the feeling that sleeping is going to be hell later?"

Shepard had to chuckle a little at that. "I was just thinking the same thing."

Moving himself behind her, Garrus wrapped his arms around her waist and he felt her palms cover his hands. He buried the scarred side of his face into the top of her head. "Did I ever tell you about the first time I ever saw space?"

Shepard shook her head. "You know, I don't think you ever did. Tell me about it."

Garrus moved his head so that his chin was resting on top of Shepard's head, his blue eyes looking out into the void. "Solana and I were just kids… I want to say I was maybe four of five years old at the time. Until I joined the military, my family and I would split our time between Palaven and the Citadel."

"Didn't that affect you and Solana with school or anything?" Shepard asked.

Garrus shook his head. "All turian schools around the galaxy followed the same curriculum depending on age. So, we can move from one world to another and not be too far behind on our learning."

"That must've been nice," Shepard said.

"Anyway," Garrus continued. "Dad started his job at C-Sec not too long before our first trip to visit him on the Citadel. I remember seeing pictures of space when our schools taught us about all the different planets and systems, and I was looking forward to seeing the real thing. Mom had Solana and I all bundled up because the temperature at the spaceport was a few degrees cooler than what we were used to, which was funny because I remember being hot the whole time. She even spoiled us with some _glacies cremorem_, which is basically a sweet treat."

Shepard chuckled. "My translator just translated that as ice cream."

Garrus shrugged. "It was cold, creamy, and it came in different flavors."

Shepard grinned. "That's definitely ice cream."

"Anyway," Garrus proceeded. "We got to watch the ship leave Palaven through the observation window. Our room also had a window, and I spent most of the time watching through it, seeing the stars and all the different colors that the gasses created. I think Mom had thought Solana and I would be scared, but instead, we were both staring out the window in wonder. Solana didn't stare out into the void as much as I did, however. Once we were on the Citadel, well, let's just say that Solana and I forgot all about space."

"I imagine seeing so many different species in one place caught your attention," Shepard pointed out.

Garrus laughed. "It sure did. Sometimes when we were there, we stayed at this daycare for the children of C-Sec and government employees. We were considered 'misfits' on the first day."

Shepard laughed as well. "Why am I not surprised to hear that?"

Garrus' mandibles flared into a grin. "Solana got into a fight with a volus about our age over something I can't remember, and she pushed him. Poor kid went rolling halfway across the room. _Then_, she tried to pull on one of a hanar 's legs. I think I remember him saying something along the lines of-" Garrus then tried to imitate a hanar's speaking voice. "'_This one believes the Enkindlers would be frowning upon your devious actions_.'"

Shepard tried to maintain her laughter. All of this shouldn't be funny, and yet she couldn't help her giggles. "And what did you do that made you a 'misfit?'"

Garrus sighed. "You wouldn't believe it…"

"Oh tell me."

Garrus cleared his throat. "I pulled a human girl's hair."

Shepard stopped holding back her laughter. "That's so mean! Why did you do that?"

"I was curious what human hair felt like!" Garrus replied. "I went to touch it, but then she moved and her hair got caught in my talons. Imagine my surprise when I realized pulling human hair actually hurts them."

"Did she cry?" Shepard asked.

"No, but she did turn around and pulled on my mandibles pretty hard. We may seem like we're made of steel, but we really have some sensitive nerves there. It hurt like hell."

Shepard reached up and patted his good mandible. "You poor thing."

"Naturally, I survived my first encounter with a human," Garrus replied. He then decided to change the subject as he thought of something. "Are you hungry? As much as I like looking out the window, I wouldn't mind grabbing a bite to eat. What about you?"

Shepard shrugged. "Sure, why not? Let's just hope the food is decent on this ship."

The two of them began to leave the room. "It can't be any worse than Gardner's meals from the Collector mission," Garrus mentioned.

Shepard snorted. "You'd be very, very surprised."

* * *

Two days later, Palaven came into view, and everyone abroad prepared to depart the transport. As they did, an announcer began to speak over the PA system.

"_Welcome to Palaven. We will be landing in the planet capital of Cipritine shortly. This is a friendly reminder that all visitors must wear breathing masks when outdoors due to the current environment. They will be provided at the security gate and must be returned upon leaving Palaven. Due to the radiation on the planet, all human visitors must wear enviro-suits or any other radiation protection to protect your skins. These will also be provided at security and must be returned upon leaving Palaven. The current time on Cipritine is; 17.12 hours. We hope that you enjoy your visit. Have a pleasant day._"

Shepard let out an exasperated sigh after the announcement was done. "Guess I'll know how Tali feels wearing an enviro-suit soon enough."

"They do have lotions that you can use, but it only lasts a few hours," Garrus mentioned. "I'm sure we can pick some up if they're available."

"Sure," Shepard agreed. "Maybe I can switch between the two or something."

Garrus grinned. "There's also gene therapy where they can give you shots to thicken your skin."

Shepard chuckled. "Maybe if we were planning to live here permanently, but other than that, I'll pass."

Shepard turned her head towards the window as Palaven came into view. The only time she had seen the planet was when it was burning during the war. On Menae, one of Palaven's two moons, she remembered how Garrus had avoided looking up at his home. The one time he did when they went to search for Victus, he pointed out where he was born, which turned out to be the one with the biggest blaze of orange. Shepard could only imagine the devastation left behind in that moment.

Garrus had since learned that aside from a couple of scorch marks around the property and some possessions being looted, the Vakarian household managed to survive the war. The rebuilding effort in and around Cipritine had started some time ago, but according to his father, there was still a long way to go before the city would be back to the way it was before the devastation.

Shepard took another deep breath. "It's going to be hot as hell, isn't it?" she asked.

"Not like Therum," Garrus replied. "It's more like… Virmire."

Shepard only nodded solemnly, her mind briefly on Ashley and her sacrifice on that planet.

Soon, the ship landed at the spaceport. Before the trip, Garrus had called the Cipritine Spaceport and requested a cart for their luggage so that Shepard wasn't forced to carry any. Shepard was reluctant to have him make the request at first, but then she convinced him to at least let her carry a backpack. The cart was waiting for them at the gate.

Once they were ready, the two of them headed through security and customs. There, they received their breathing masks along with both Shepard's enviro-suit and sunblock. Since they didn't plan to be outdoors much between here and the Vakarian home, Shepard went ahead and put the lotion on her face, neck, and arms, the only skin currently exposed.

Throughout their whole time at the spaceport, it wasn't hard for Shepard to notice the stares from those around them, mostly turian. Most of them stares were neutral while some either were with curiosity or disdain. Whether or not it was because she was a human or Commander Shepard was only her guess, but she'd rather would be guessing than to find out. She didn't want her first trip to Palaven to start off on a bad note.

It took some time to get through customs, but once that was done, it didn't take them long to find Garrus' father, Arsenius. He waited near the spaceport exit and was sitting down on a bench until he spotted his son and the commander. From there, he got up and met them halfway.

"Welcome home, son," Arsenius greeted as he reached a hand out. Garrus took it and the two shook hands.

"Hey Dad," Garrus replied. "It's good to be home."

Arsenius nodded before turning his head. "Shepard, it's good to see you again. You're looking well."

"It's good to see you, too," Shepard replied with a smile. "I'm still recovering from my injuries, but they've been slowly improving day by day."

"Yes, Garrus told me all about it," Arsenius informed her. "Now, let's head to the house. You're sister has been antsy all day waiting for your arrival."

Garrus laughed. "I can only imagine."

From there, the three of them put on their breathing masks and went outside to begin heading over to where Arsenius parked his skycar. Shepard immediately felt the heat of Palaven hitting her face the second she took her first step outside. Garrus was right about one thing… it wasn't as hot as Therum, but she wondered if the comparison to Virmire was warranted. Then again, on Virmire, they were near a large body of water, making their surroundings a little cooler.

The ride to the Vakarian household was quiet as Shepard and Garrus both found themselves looking out the window. There were so many buildings that were destroyed from the war, but Shepard had noticed that if there were ever any debris on the streets, most of them had been cleared out. There were also signs of rebuilding as the turians fixed buildings that were salvageable. Those that were too badly damaged to save were demolished and new buildings began to replace them.

"The salarians have built us a kind of shroud on top of one of the surviving buildings in Cipritine," Arsenius explained at one point. "It's helped to improve the atmosphere here, though we think it'll be another year before we can go outside without breathing masks."

Garrus did have a small concern about that. "With Urdnot Wrex running the show on Tuchanka, we're pretty safe from the krogan getting revenge for the genophage. However, what if, somehow, something happens to Wrex and we get some tyrant krogan like Wreav who wants to, well… the humans have this saying, 'an eye for an eye.'"

"The salarians made sure it was well hidden and hard to find," Arsenius explained. "It's also heavily guarded so that no one tampers with it."

Garrus nodded. "That's good to know."

"And look on the bright side, Garrus," Shepard began to point out. "We don't have to worry about Wreav anymore. You were there when he became a thresher maw's lunch."

"Hmm," Garrus hummed. "Yes I was."

"I don't think I want to know what that's about," Arsenius spoke up.

"Stuff that happened the day the genophage was cured," Shepard mentioned.

Arsenius couldn't help but shake his head a little. "Sometimes, I find it hard to believe that my own son had a hand in ending not only the genophage, but also centuries of feuding between the turians and the krogan."

"If anyone deserves the credit, it's Mordin Solus," Garrus replied. "He was the one who created the cure _and_ he was the one who delivered it to the shroud to make sure the cure spreads throughout Tuchanka. Shepard and I, along with a squad mate named Javik, helped along the way."

Arsenius turned his head a little towards Shepard's direction to acknowledge her while still keeping his eyes on the road. "Shepard, is it true that the dalatrass tried to cut a secret deal with you? I tried to dig for information on that a while ago, but I found nothing on it, so I was hoping that you can confirm it for me."

Shepard immediately nodded. "Yes. Dalatrass Linron had believed that the peace wouldn't last and tried to suggest making it look like the cure was released in exchange for full support of the salarian fleet. I was not about to agree to letting the krogan go extinct based on what _might_ happen. Besides, Wrex is hell of a lot smarter than she gave him credit for… he would've caught the deception for sure. Honestly, I never even considered taking the offer. Either way, the salarians joined us in the end after I helped save their councilor."

"I'm glad you didn't," Arsenius replied. "A few years ago, I would have agreed with the dalatrass, but the war had proved the krogan's capabilities and they had assisted us greatly. With the cure, the turians have gained a strong ally. Since the end of the war, we've been helping each other immensely in the rebuilding process for both home worlds."

By this point, they reached the Vakarian property and Arsenius began to park in front of the house. After shutting the car off, Arsenius turned his full attention to Shepard. "If you hadn't helped, who knows what would have happened to Solana and I."

Shepard simply nodded in reply, feeling lost for words. From there, Arsenius and Garrus began getting out of the war with Garrus helping Shepard out.

"There you are!" a female voice called out. At the same time, running steps were heard on the pavement.

His mandibles flaring in a grin, Garrus turned around to face his sister. Just as he saw her, Solana was already close enough to practically run into him, her arms wrapping around him in a tight hug. Garrus let out an '_oomph!_' before returning the hug.

"About time you got your ass home," Solana said as she pulled back to regard her brother. "Even if it's only for two weeks."

Garrus punched his sister's arm playfully. "If it will make you feel better, I can make this the worst two weeks of your life."

Solana returned the playful punch. "You _would_ do that!"

His sister then turned her attention to Shepard. Her own mandibles flared into a grin before she approached her for a hug. "Hi, Shepard. How are you?"

Shepard smiled as she returned the embrace. "I'm still recovering, but I'm much better than when I was in the hospital. How about you?"

"I'm good," Solana replied. "I imagine there's a lot to talk about between all of us."

As Solana spoke, Garrus happened to notice someone near the front door of the house. Turning his attention, he noticed a male turian watching the reunion from where he stood. Garrus had an idea of who this particular turian was.

"I assume that includes the soldier you met during the war."

Solana noticed her brother looking past her soldier. She turned to face the turian by the door. "Come over here!" she called out to him. "They don't bite."

The male turian's eyes seemed to brighten a little as he began to walk towards them. "I know, but it's not every day that you meet the great Commander Shepard, especially on the same day you meet your mate's equally famous brother."

"Hey don't let the media fool you about what they say about me," said Shepard. She then grinned as she turned to her lover. "Garrus on the other hand…"

"Hey, the media loves exaggeration," Garrus pointed out.

"Anyway," Solana began to say. "Garrus, Shepard, this is Xarius Anagnos. Xarius, this is my brother Garrus and his mate, Shepard, as you already guessed."

Xarius reached out a hand and Garrus took it in a handshake. "It's an honor to finally meet Solana's brother," he said. He then shook hands with Shepard. "And of course, it's an honor to meet you, Commander."

"Nice to meet you, too," Shepard replied. "And please, call me Shepard."

By then, Shepard got a good look at Xarius white colony markings. Shepard had seen this particular marking once on a turian she delivered the Banner of the First Regiment to on the Citadel. She remembered thinking how neat it was how one part of his colony marking painted most of the length of his middle fringe.

"Come on, let's go inside," Solana suggested. "I have some dual-chirality wine that we can all share."

"Sounds good," Garrus replied as the five of them went inside the house.

The first thing Shepard noticed when they stepped inside was how big the place was… then, she realized that it was only big because there wasn't a lot of furniture to fill up the big space. Aside from the house being looted during the war, Garrus had also mentioned that his father had to sell a lot of their valuable possessions when his mother was in the hospital.

Speaking of his mother, Shepard did notice one table against the wall off to the side. It contained a picture of a turian woman with the Vakarian blue colony marking. She was almost the splitting image of Solana with the same peach skin and a darker shade of blue eyes, only Mrs. Vakarian had a darker shade of gray plates. Her two children clearly inherited the lighter gray plates from their father. In the picture, she was on a beach and her mandibles flares into a soft smile as she looked past the camera. Surrounding the picture were some trinkets of small statues and jewelry along with a couple of lit candles.

Garrus had noticed the table as well and had stared at it briefly before he and Shepard continued to follow his family to the living room.

"So how was the trip?" Arsenius asked as he, Garrus, Shepard, and Xarius sat down while Solana went into the kitchen to get their wine.

"A little long with some of the relays still being repaired, but it was quiet most of the way there," Garrus replied.

"No being mobbed by the media, I assume?"

"Thankfully, no," Shepard said.

"I heard about what happened to you in Toronto a few months ago," Arsenius continued. "If you don't mind me asking, are humans always that… aggressive when they try to interview people?"

"Only those in gossip news," Shepard explained. "Unfortunately, there's a market for those who love to get juicy details on the private lives of well-known people. Those who get those details are paid much more than they deserve. Some will even go as far as breaking into your home just for that one picture that could be worth more than enough for the seller to live comfortably for quite a number of years."

"What's the point of all of that aside from the money?" asked Xarius. "I mean, isn't it better for your people to hear about news that's more important, like your accomplishments?"

"Unfortunately, there are those out there who would rather hear about the private lives of the famous than what's going on around the galaxy," Shepard replied. "It's a way for them to escape what's going on around them in real life. Thankfully, not all of us humans, myself included, enjoy that sort of thing and would rather watch real news. But one would have to be careful because even some serious news outlets tend to exaggerate, even the Alliance News Network which is what I mostly watch."

By then, Solana had returned with five glasses for each person and the bottle of wine, all which she set on the table before sitting herself to serve herself first. "What did I miss?" she asked as she poured the wine.

"Just complaining about the human media and their means of exaggeration," Garrus replied as he took the bottle when his sister was done.

"That's why I prefer turian news," Solana said. "It's not a race thing, but I prefer to hear the truth than some gossip. I hear asari news can be pretty bad, too. Apparently, they tend to gloss everything over. The only other news source I could maybe trust would be salarian news outlets, but they talk so damn fast!"

Garrus had to chuckle at that as he passed the bottle to Shepard. "It's probably hard to keep up if you're not paying attention. Though there is this salarian comedian Shepard and I like to watch on the vids whenever he does stand-up routines. He talks fast, but he always makes a point to keep a certain beat so that all species are able to catch on to his punch lines."

Shepard happened to look at the bottle she was holding before she poured it. "You said this was dual-chirality, Solana?"

"Yes," Solana nodded. "I actually bought a few different ones and stocked up on some levo foods and snacks before you came over. To be honest, I'm not sure what I bought, but I figured at least you wouldn't go hungry."

Shepard smiled as she poured the wine. "I appreciate the thought." She then passed the bottle to Arsenius before turning to Solana's mate. "So tell us how you met Solana, Xarius."

Xarius straightened up in his seat as he suddenly found himself the center of attention. "Um, hmm… I'm not sure where to start…"

"Solana mentioned that you're from Digeris," Garrus mentioned.

"Oh, yes," Xarius said as he cleared his throat. "I, eh, spent most of the war guarding the colony, at least until the forces on Palaven were depleting. Because we were stretched thin, the ship I was XO on went to Palaven to help out. Eventually, we were asked to evacuate civilians and it was my shuttle that happened to pick up Solana and Arsenius. We got many civilians to safer colonies, but Solana and Arsenius insisted that they help. That gave me the time to get to know Solana, and well… you can imagine how that turned out. Our ship went with you on the final assault."

"Tell us about your family," Shepard encouraged.

Xarius' mandibles flicked a little. "Well, my parents died years ago when I a child… skycar accident. My two sisters and I were raised by my father's sister and her husband. They also had a son. Aside from losing our parents, we had a pretty good childhood."

"Did any of them survive the war?" asked Garrus.

Xarius sighed a little. "I consider myself lucky compared to so many others. The only one I lost was my youngest sister, Elania. It was… a sad irony because she was just a civilian working for the turian embassy on Digeris. Yet it was myself, my other sister, and our cousin who were in the military with the higher chance of dying… and the three of us ended up surviving. Elania was… on Palaven accompanying our Ambassador on a trip there when the Reapers hit…"

Shepard frowned upon hearing this. "I'm sorry."

Xarius shook his head. "Everyone lost at least one person to the war. All we can hope for now is that Elania's death was quick and painless." His green eyes then shifted towards Shepard and Garrus. "You two did so much during the war. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't fought so hard to end it."

"Anyone could have done it," Garrus pointed. "Shepard and I just happened to know more about the Reapers than anyone else."

"It was that knowledge that got all turian colonies to update our emergency protocols. Things looked bad in the end, but it could have been worse. Digeris had some bumps and bruises, but compared to other words, the colony got out in much better condition. I really believe those protocols and updates you pushed for really helped us in the end."

Garrus nodded solemnly. "It looks like my efforts really did buy us some time…"

Solana decided to change the subject, not wanting to talk more about the war. "I don't think I told you this Garrus, but Xarius was once a police detective on Digeris."

Garrus snorted as he grinned. "Solana, is this your attempt to rub in my past as a C-Sec officer?"

Xarius had to grin as well. "Solana told me about your time at C-Sec. Personally, I stayed within the rules, but I can understand the frustration of red tape. That was what I was doing for a while before a friend of mine from boot camp offered me the XO position on the ship I served on. I initially planned to stay on for a few years because of the higher pay, plus with the free room and board, it would've helped me save some money so I could have a more stable future. In the end, I donated half my savings towards the recovery efforts."

"He plans to return to the police force once things are calmer here on Palaven," Arsenius explained.

"You want to work here on Palaven?" asked Garrus.

Xarius nodded. "I'd like to. Right now, I'm helping with recovery in Cipritine."

Shepard then turned to Solana. "What have you been doing, Solana?"

"I've been helping out at the hospital," Solana replied. "Before Mom became ill, I was a medic for the turian military. Since we came back to Palaven after the war, I got a job at the Cipritine Medical Hospital since the hospital needed more people. They consider me a nurse there even though I'm not registered as one. I am currently in training so that I can become a registered nurse."

Solana's mandibles flared in a grin. "Of course, I took the next two weeks off so I can spend them with my brother and his mate."

"Now that you have all this time for us, what you want to do during our two week stay?" Garrus asked.

"Primarch Victus did want to meet with you two for lunch at some point," Arsenius explained.

"Yes I spoke with him a few days ago," Garrus replied. "He said he would contact us when he has the time."

"Also," Solana spoke up. "Uncle Gallus and the rest of the surviving family are coming over tomorrow."

"Already?" Garrus asked with wide eyes. "I figured it would be a few more days before we see them."

"Gallus has business to attend to in a few days up north," Arsenius said. "So tomorrow would be the best time for all of us to get together."

Garrus turned his attention to his brother's mate. "Have you ever met the rest of the family?"

Xarius shook his head. "No."

"Nervous?"

Xarius grinned. "Yes, but I can only imagine how nervous Shepard is."

Shepard eyed him. "Thanks for rubbing it in. Though I have to admit, after what Garrus told me, I don't feel as nervous about meeting Uncle Gallus compared to the rest of the family."

"I assume he told you about the asari he dated when we were young," Arsenius pointed out.

"Yeah… I told her about that," Garrus said.

"If anything," Solana cut in. "The only ones you really have to worry about is the older generation and _maybe_ Mom's side of the family, but you won't be meeting any of them, at least not on this trip."

Arsenius looked at Shepard. "Nelia, my wife's sister, had her 'concerns' about Gallus' ex-mate all those years ago. She never explained those 'concerns,' but our guess is that either it was a race thing or it was because of the person herself."

Solana explained. "She was an ex-Eclipse member."

"I can see why Nelia had her concerns," Shepard said. "But either way, I'm still nervous about meeting them."

"Once they get to know you, they'll love you," Solana said. "If Dad here can be fond of both you and Xarius, the rest of the family will, too."

"And Dad's not easily impressed most of the time," Garrus pointed out.

"Garrus, Xarius was a police detective who follows the rules even with the frustration of red tape and Shepard is the savior of the galaxy. Of course that's going to impress him."

"Still, he had to look past the fact that Shepard's a spectre."

Arsenius glared at both of his children. "There's no need to talk as though I'm not in the room."

"Sorry," Solana apologized.

"I've said it before, Solana, Xarius is exactly the kind of turian I hoped for you. He's responsible, does his job within the rules, and has contributed to the hierarchy with honor."

"Huh," Garrus huffed. "I seem to recall Solana rebelling against courting those kinds of men."

Solana grasped onto Xarius's hand, who returned the gesture. "Good thing Xarius has a sense of humor then."

"Aaand I imagine none of you ever thought Garrus would end up with a human," Shepard said with a grin.

"Not at all," Solana replied with a laugh. "But you're not just any human, Shepard."

Shepard took a deep breath. "You have idea how many times I've heard that and not just over my love life either."

Xarius chuckled suddenly as he turned his head to the human. "That reminds me, I have to thank you for something else, Shepard."

Shepard raised an eyebrow at him. "For what?"

Xarius grinned. "For taking the pressure off of me when we meet the rest of the family."

Shepard narrowed her eyes as Garrus laughed next to her. "… Very funny."

As the five of them continued to talk more, Garrus was glad that Xarius indeed had a sense of humor… he couldn't imagine Solana courting him otherwise. Even so, he would keep an eye on him and make sure that he continued to make his sister happy. Then again, his father did like him, so he was sure that there wasn't much to worry about.

The only thing that Garrus had to worry about now at this point was what his extended family would think of Shepard. He was sure that tomorrow was going to be a long day…


	14. The Vakarian Family

**A/N: Small warning – This chapter may make some squeamish for those who are sensitive about food that can still stare back at you.**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen – The Vakarian Family**

The next morning on Palaven, Garrus and Shepard woke up to a vid-call from Garrus' omni-tool. Realizing that it was a priority message, Garrus sat up from his bed as he placed the omni-tool bracelet around his wrist. Once that was done, he turned it on and the screen revealed the face of a turian with dark gray plates, brown skin, white colony markings, and brown-hazel eyes.

"Primarch Victus," Garrus greeted as he saluted him briskly with his free hand.

"Vakarian," Victus replied with a nod. "I heard you and Shepard made it to Palaven yesterday from your father."

Garrus nodded. "Yes, we arrived just before sunset last night."

"Good, it sounds like you had a safe trip. Anyway, I'm calling because I had time in my schedule this afternoon and I wanted to invite you and Shepard for lunch at my office. I'm sorry that the invitation came at the last minute, but my schedule has been unpredictable these past few weeks."

"Of course we can come for a visit," Garrus replied. Next to him, Shepard was stretching on the bed they were sharing as she quietly let out a yawn. "What time would you like for us to get there?"

"Around 13.00 would be most preferred," Victus said. "We'll have a couple hours to ourselves, so unless an emergency comes up, we won't be interrupted."

"Sounds good, I'll see you then."

The vid-call ended as Shepard sat up. "It sounds like we're having lunch with Victus."

Garrus nodded. "I figured since my family won't be here until the evening and we're not doing anything else, now would be a good time to visit Victus."

"It also sounds like he's been busy," Shepard pointed out.

"There's so much to do with organizing the rebuilding efforts."

Shepard shook her head. "That doesn't surprise me at all." She looked at the time and noticed that it was just past 10.00 hours. "Huh, I think we slept in quite late."

Garrus shrugged. "We did stay up pretty late last night too watching vids with Solana and Xarius and playing those human board games Solana became fond of after the war."

Shepard had to grin at that. "She was pretty good at Monopoly, I must admit."

By then, Garrus was out of bed and began to go through his luggage to retrieve his day clothes. While he did that, Shepard used her hands to assist her legs so that they swung over the side of the bed. "Do you think I'll need to wear the enviro-suit today?" she asked.

"Honestly, I don't think so," Garrus replied. "We'll only be outside just to get from the house to the car, then to the car to the embassy office, then from the office to the car, then to the car and back to the house. Unless you want to go down to the shopping district for a few hours before they get here."

Shepard shook her head as she placed her hand on the nightstand. "I don't think so."

Using the nightstand as leverage, Shepard began to push herself to stand up, but then the hand on the table suddenly slipped forward and she began to fall face first to the ground. Luckily, Garrus was right there and he was able to catch her before she hit the floor. From there, he helped her to stand up.

"You okay?" he asked with concern.

Shepard sighed as she leaned her forehead into his chest. "Yeah, I'm fine." She then looked up at him. "Whoever waxed that table did a damn good job apparently."

Garrus looked over at the table, noticing the shine on top. "I'll put a table mat or something over it before we go to bed tonight."

Shepard nodded before she leaned her head into his chest again. "I really hate this… it shouldn't be a struggle to get out of bed in the morning…"

Garrus rubbed her back in comfort. "I know, sweetheart." He leaned down to press a kiss on top of her head.

"Your extended family wouldn't look down on me because of… my legs, would they?"

Garrus looked at her. "Why would you think so?"

Shepard shrugged. "I don't know. It might be my ignorance talking, but I don't think I've ever seen a turian with any sort of… physical disability."

"Oh they definitely exist," Garrus pointed out. "Most are from injuries while serving in the military. We do have those born with physical disabilities, some that would prevent them from being soldiers. They still serve their required time, but the hierarchy will give them duties that meet their skills and needs. The hierarchy knows the limits of some turians and they are willing to work with them so that they meet the needs of both sides. The same goes with those who were born with mental disabilities, although those are a bit rarer.

"But Shepard, you have nothing to worry about. The entire galaxy pretty much knows that you were hurt after you ended the war. My Dad's family, especially my uncle's family, is pretty easy-going considering the way our society is. They won't think of you any less than the kind of person you are, I promise."

Shepard nodded. "Okay… I'm sorry. I just wasn't sure what the thoughts were on long term injuries amongst your people…"

"I assume some human cultures think less of them," Garrus guessed.

Shepard sighed. "Mostly in the past, but yes…"

Garrus placed another kiss on her head. "Come on… let's not let this ruin the rest of the day."

Shepard nodded in agreement.

Not long afterwards, Shepard and Garrus made their way towards the kitchen, both craving a small snack. When they got in the kitchen, they could smell the food Solana was preparing for tonight's big dinner. Solana did mention that she planned to go all out on the family dinner tonight. Whatever it was she was making, Shepard realized that the meal was going to take all day to make…

So it was no surprise when they saw Solana mixing something in a bowl on the counter. Xarius was also in there with her helping out with chopping up some dextro vegetables. At one point, he looked over at a dish that sat on the counter in between them and he began to reach a hand towards it.

"Hey, get your hands out of there!" Solana called out as she smacked Xarius' hand away from the dish.

Xarius chuckled. "Sorry, can't help it. You know how much I love _durcia_."

"I know, but I haven't even put it in the oven yet," Solana pointed out. "You don't want to make your first impression on my family while you're sick, do you?"

"Well, no, but…" Xarius then wrapped an arm around Solana's waist. "But with you taking care of me, it wouldn't be so bad."

Solana playfully slapped his arm. "You do that and I'll make you regret it."

Xarius nuzzled the side of her head. "You know you love to take care of me as much as I love to take care of you."

Garrus chose that moment to cut in. "So I hear you're making _durcia_ for dinner tonight."

Xarius immediately pulled away from Solana, who turned her attention to her brother. "Yes I am. It probably won't be as good as Mom's was, but at least it's something I know the whole family likes."

"Well either way, I'm looking forward to it," Garrus replied.

Solana then turned her attention to Shepard. "Oh Shepard… I wasn't sure what to make you for dinner tonight. I haven't had the chance to look over any Earth cookbooks and the last thing I want to do is mix two ingredients that don't even go together. I can also stop by the store this afternoon if needed."

Shepard smiled. "I think I have just the thing, and I promise it'll be very easy and quick to make."

"And painless I imagine," Garrus added.

Shepard lightly elbowed him in the ribs. "Cooking your dinners is no picnic either."

"What's a picnic?" asked Xarius.

"Generally it means eating a light meal outdoors on the grass with a blanket to sit on, but the way I said it just now basically means, 'easy,'" Shepard

Garrus sighed. "You wouldn't believe how many different meanings there are just for one word. _And_ humans also have so many different words for 'butt.'"

"Hey!" called out Solana. "Let's not talk about that while we're surrounded by food."

Shepard chuckled. "I'll go ahead and make you an ingredients list, Solana," she offered before sitting down at the small table in the kitchen.

"Send it to my omni-tool," Solana said.

From there, Shepard began to type out her meal request; spaghetti with a jar of any flavored tomato sauce (rather than try to have Solana attempt to make sauce from real tomatoes, if they even had any on Palaven), grate parmesan cheese (if possible) with a side of rolls or bread (preferably garlic bread, but any bread would do). She then typed out the cooking directions before sending the information to Solana's omni-tool.

"It shouldn't take more than a half hour to make," Shepard explained to Solana as the turian looked over her omni-tool.

"Thanks," Solana replied.

* * *

A few hours later, Shepard and Garrus found themselves at the turian embassies in the heart of Cipritine. The building was one of many that were salvageable after the war. Through there were still some dents and scorch marks on the building, it was definitely going to stay intact. She also noticed that new windows were installed by the way they shined again the Palaven sun.

They barely got inside the lobby when a female turian approached them. "Welcome, Mr. Vakarian, Commander Shepard. If you'll follow me, the Primarch is waiting for you."

They began to head to the officer, though Garrus had to remind the embassy employee to slow her walking down so that Shepard could keep up. The employee was patient and apologized each time. She also asked if Shepard needed any mobile accommodations during her visit, but Shepard immediately declined.

Soon, they were let inside the office, and Primarch Adrien Victus was there at the door to greet them both.

"Garrus, Shepard," he said. "It's good to see you both."

Garrus immediately shook his hand. "Same here. How are you?"

"Things could be better, but it could be worse as well." Victus then turned his attention to Shepard. "How are the legs?"

"Still recovering," Shepard replied as she shook his hand. "Right now, I'm on leave from active duty because of it."

"Yes, Garrus mentioned that," Victus said. "Let's sit down. Lunch will be ready shortly."

They went over to a small lounge area in the office that had two black couches facing each other with a gray coffee table in between them. The back of the couches were carved in a way that would fit the turians' carapaces, so Shepard instead leaned against the arm of the chair so that she was more comfortable. Garrus sat close to her on the same couch while Victus sat down opposite of them.

Victus continued from there. "I must apologize, Commander," he began. "My cook staff doesn't have any experience with preparing human cuisines, so I hope you don't mind that they prepare an asari dish for you instead."

"Not at all," Shepard assured him with a wave of her hand. "I've have asari food before and I've enjoyed it every time."

Victus nodded. "Good, I'm relieved to hear that."

"So what are we having?" Garrus asked him.

"_Melci vii_."

Shepard noticed Garrus' mandibles flaring into a grin. "I haven't had that in ages."

"What is that exactly?" Shepard asked curiously.

"It's a very popular lunch choice for those high up in the hierarchy. I've only had it twice in my whole life. I want to say that the last time I had it was when Dad had lunch with Fedorian right before I joined the military… he was an Ambassador at the time and it was not long before he became Primarch."

"How does it taste?"

"Very sweet and it's very crunchy with each bite even without it being fried." Garrus suddenly cleared his throat. "Just… promise that you won't get squeamish."

That confused Shepard. "Why would I get squeamish?"

That was when the cook staff came into the office with their lunch. All three plates had metal covers over them to keep them warm and protect them from debris while they were delivered to them. The three of them thanked the staff before they left them alone.

"Well, let's eat," Victus suggested.

Shepard removed her cover and took a good look at her dish. It reminded her of lasagna, only the sauce that was used was a hot pink color and the herbs were leafy and a color between green and purple. Whatever the white stuff used in between the 'noodles' did actually looks like ricotta cheese. She also wondered if her tongue was about to turn even more pink from the sauce.

Then Shepard happened to look at Garrus' plate just as he removed his cover. Upon seeing her plate, Shepard's eyes suddenly widened in horror… she now understood why Garrus told her to not get squeamish.

Whatever those snail-like things were on his plate, they were _alive_!

Garrus picked up a pair of metal sticks that reminded Shepard of thick chopsticks (obviously designed to accommodate turian hands) before grasping one 'snail' with them. The 'snail' immediately grasped onto one of the utensils… Shepard also swore it was hanging on for dear life.

"Are you all right, Shepard?" Victus said with some amusement.

Shepard immediately got a hold of herself. "Um, yeah… I'm fine."

"You're face going pale says otherwise," Victus chuckled. "I assume humans don't eat their meals that still move."

"Actually, there are some human cultures that have meals that are still alive when they're served," Shepard explained. "It's… not my preferred method of eating… no offense."

"None taken," Victus replied. "We tend to eat _melci vii_ like this because not only does it maintain its flavor, but it's also very healthy… the turians get the most nutrition out of this meal when they're still alive. Even an hour after they're killed, they lose a lot of their nutritional value."

"They're also hard to find," Garrus added. "They're native to Palaven and mostly live underground. It's why only those high up in the hierarchy can eat them… they're really expensive."

"I assume the price goes up when they're shipped to other colonies."

"Definitely."

From there, Victus decided to begin discussing a few things he had in mind. "Aside from rebuilding and reorganizing the hierarchy, I have been negotiating with diplomats from other species."

"What about?" Garrus said. That was when he took his first bite of his meal, a loud_ crunch!_ being heard once he started chewing.

Victus took a bite of his own meal before proceeding. "Well, galactic politics were always primarily on the Citadel, at least before the war. Now, with so many species living in many different parts of the galaxy, many of the diplomats agreed that developing additional embassies where it's most needed would help many civilians on other worlds. Not everyone can go directly to embassies from where live, so the closer these embassies are, the better."

Garrus' browplates rose at that. "You're not planning to make me ambassador or anything, are you?"

Victus chuckled at that. "I haven't even started figuring out potential nominees yet. We're still in negotiations, but either way, it'll still take some time to get everything set up."

As they proceeded to talk, Shepard continued to hear the crunching noise from their meals. By the time they were done, Shepard had lost her appetite and had only finished half of her plate.

Soon, Garrus and Shepard said farewell to Victus and went on their way. Once they were outside, Garrus laughed. "So, I noticed you didn't finish your meal."

"I hope I didn't offend him," Shepard sighed.

"Don't worry, I told him you weren't a big eater a while ago… at least he was amused when you saw our plates."

Shepard rolled her eyes. "Very funny."

Shepard then thought of something as they got in the sky car. "Say… didn't one of your cousins have kids who are coming over?"

Garrus nodded. "Yeah. Caius had two kids."

"How old are they?"

Garrus had to briefly think about that. "Let's see… Zorana is six, and Calix should've just turned five."

This gave Shepard an idea. "Do you mind if we go to the shopping district? I promise it won't take more than an hour."

Garrus stared at her. "What for?"

Shepard smiled. "I just had a little idea, but clearly I'm going to need your help."

Garrus shrugged. "All right, let's go."

* * *

As the sun outside was starting to set for the evening, Shepard suddenly jumped in her seat the moment she heard a knock on the door. She looked around the living room she was sitting in. Garrus gave her a reassuring smile, but Xarius gave her the same nervous look she was giving now.

"I'll get it," Arsenius announced as he made his way to the front door.

"Right on time!" Solana called out as she came into the living room. "I just got the table set and dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. I have your dinner cooking right now, Shepard."

Shepard nodded. "Thanks."

Garrus looked at both her and Xarius. "You two ready?"

"No," they both said at the same time.

Solana chuckled. "Well, it's too late to back out now."

"Not necessarily," said Xarius. "Shepard and I can still slip through the back door and escape to the nearest bar."

Shepard laughed. "I think I'll take you up on that offer if this whole meeting goes to hell."

"Relax you two," Garrus cut in.

That was when Arsenius opened the front door.

"Brother, it's good to see you," said a male turian Shepard realized was Gallus. The two brothers grasped each other's shoulders in greeting.

"You don't look worse for wear," Arsenius replied.

Gallus chuckled. "Neither do you.

Arsenius then turned to the woman next to him. "Hello, Aricia."

"Hello Arsenius," Gallus' wife greeted. "It's so good to see you."

As they talked, Gallus began to approach his nephew and niece. "Garrus, Solana, how are you?"

"We're good," said Solana as she hugged her uncle. "We've been trying to get back to our normal routine these past few months."

"Yeah, we're doing the same back at home." He then turned to Garrus. "And how have-" He suddenly stopped as he noticed Garrus' right side of his face. "Spirits boy, what happened to you?"

Garrus rubbed his scarred mandible. "Rocket to the face."

Gallus laughed. "You always did get yourself into all sorts of trouble." That's when he shifted his eyes. "And this must be Shepard."

Shepard extended her arm to shake hands with Arsenius' brother. "I am. It's nice to meet you. Garrus told me a lot about you."

Gallus grinned. "I'm sure he did. I'm sure we'll have a lot of talk about this evening."

He moved on to meet with Xarius. By then, Gallus' wife and Garrus' Aunt Aricia had approached them both. She smiled warmly at her nephew. "It's good to see you, Garrus. And I'm happy to be able to finally meet the Commander." She reached her hand out and Shepard took it. "It's an honor."

Shepard nodded. "Thank you. And it's nice to meet you, Mrs. Vakarian."

"Oh please, call me Aricia. Formality is not necessary around me."

Shepard smiled. "In that case, call me Shepard."

By then, a male turian around Garrus' age approached. If it wasn't for his green eyes and lack of scars, Shepard could've easily mistaken him for Garrus.

"Garrus!" he called out enthusiastically as he grasped his shoulder. "It's good to see you, again. Looks like your scars are getting better."

"Thanks," Garrus replied. "How's the rebuilding?"

"Not bad. Planning everything is the worst part, but once it's all set, it makes the job easier."

The turian then turned his attention to Shepard. "And this must be Commander Shepard. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Shepard, this is my cousin and best friend growing up, Arek. He's an architect and has been helping out with getting new buildings up in Cipritine."

Shepard smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Arek."

"Has my cousin here taken you down to see the Danorian Spires yet?" Arek asked her.

"We've only been here for a day," Garrus replied. "And to be honest, I don't know if we'll make the trip this time. Besides, are you sure they're still there after all this time?"

"They are," Arek informed him with a nod. "One of my colleagues made a trip out there not too long ago and even took pictures. I think the fact that there wasn't a big population there might've saved them.

Arek then turned his head to where Arsenius was talking to a couple a couple of years older than him with their two children nearby. Seeing this, Arek turned back to Garrus, his voice going into a whisper. "Oh, there's something… somewhat important you should know."

"About what?" Garrus asked.

"Well… Caius is looking forward to meeting you, but… Drenya has been a bit… reserved about it."

"How so?"

"Well, she hasn't really shown much enthusiasm about coming here like the rest of us… plus you have to remember, her father died in the Relay 314 Incident."

"Oh boy…" Shepard whined nervously.

Arek patted her on the shoulder. "I don't think she'll cost any fuss, but please don't take any offense if she seems a little cold towards you."

Shepard sighed. "Noted."

"Oh, and whatever you do, unless Mom and Dad bring it up, don't mention Cyllis," Arek advised. "I know they seem happy right now, but… his death is still hurting them pretty bad. I think they both want tonight to be a good night."

Garrus nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, we'll stay quiet."

Arek then noticed Caius and his family beginning to approach. "Well, I guess that's my cue to step aside. I hope you stocked up well on some of that Denorian beer."

Garrus laughed. "Always."

Once Arek stepped away, Garrus greeted his other cousin and his wife. "How are you two?"

"We're good," Caius replied. "Things are hectic, of course, but it's been good."

Garrus nodded before turning to his mate. "This is Shepard. Shepard, this is my cousin, Caius, his wife Drenya, and behind them are their kids Zorana and Calix."

Shepard smiled. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Caius replied while Drenya simply nodded with a neutral look on her face. Caius then turned to his children. "Kids, come here and meet your cousin Garrus and Shepard."

The two kids, both with the same blue eyes as Garrus, slowly looked up at the scarred turian more with curiosity than anything, but they were also a bit shy to speak up.

"Hi guys," Garrus greeted once they finished walking.

"Hi," they replied at the same time.

"Shepard got you two a gift. Do you want to see it?"

Now their eyes turned to Shepard. Shepard took the bag she was holding in one hand and briefly rummaged through it to take out the two items she got for each child. Both items were of Blasto with Zorana getting a doll version and Calix getting an action figure version. Garrus had told her that they were both big fans of Blasto.

Shepard was pleased when she saw the happy look on the kids' faces. Caius gently nudged his children's shoulder. "What do you say?"

"Thank you!" called out Zorana.

"Thanks," said Calix.

"You're welcome," Shepard replied. "Now if you go see cousin Solana, I think her mate, Xarius, has gifts for you, too."

Naturally, the two kids took off like bullets before Shepard could finish her sentence. Caius took a deep breath. "You're spoiling my kids, but I appreciate the gesture."

"It was Shepard's idea," Garrus pointed out.

"Is it customary for adult humans to give gifts to children when they first meet them?" Drenya asked quietly.

Shepard took a deep breath. "It actually isn't, but some of us like to do it because it helps kids be more comfortable around strangers."

"I see," Drenya said. "If you'll excuse, we'll go see to Solana."

Garrus nodded as the two of them leave. Once they were out of earshot, he turned to Shepard. "Like Arek said, take no offense."

"I'm trying not to," Shepard replied. "But I'm curious about two things… one, vyou didn't tell me much about Drenya."

"Honestly, I don't know her all that well," Garrus said. "Heck, I didn't know that her father died in the Relay 314 Incident until just now. She's usually more reserved, but she's not so bad once you get to know her. If I remember from Arek's account, Caius _really_ had work on winning her heart. They met at the same boot camp during their military training and served on the same ship afterwards. I think it was what you humans call it… love at first sight."

"I see."

Garrus nodded. "And the second thing?"

"Arek knew about your scars, but not Gallus."

"I haven't seen Uncle Gallus since before I met you," Garrus explained. "He couldn't make it to Mom's funeral, but Cyllis, Caius, and Arek were able to go."

Shepard smirked. "That's explains it."

Garrus grinned. "Arek didn't believe the rocket story at first when I told him. Then he wanted me to tell the whole story, but… there are just some things that are meant to be a secret."

Shepard nodded. "I agree."

Soon, dinner was ready and everyone was gathered at the table. Arsenius each took one end of the table. On Arsenius' left, Garrus sat in the first chair with Shepard right next to him. Next to Shepard were Arek, then Zorana, then Caius. On Arsenius' right was Solana, then Xarius. Next to Xarius were Drenya, then Calix, and then Aricia.

Shepard noticed how colorful the meat and vegetables were on the table. They definitely looked more interesting than the spaghetti in front of her. Solana wasn't able to find the grated parmesan cheese, but Shepard assured her it was fine. She was sure that levo cheese would not be easy to find on Palaven anyway. At least she was able to find a box of frozen garlic bread to heat in the oven.

"So apparently the higher-ups in the building committee want to build the tallest building on Palaven right in the heart of Cipritine," Shepard heard Arek explain to Xarius, who inquired about potential new towers to be built in the nearby city. "But there are concerns about the resources being used for it. It's something we wouldn't mind doing in the future, but a lot of our main concern right now is using the materials we have to salvage the buildings that did survive. It's already hard enough that many of the pieces

Arek suddenly turned to Garrus. "You know the Primarch. Maybe you can convince him to try to stall the project for a little while."

Garrus chuckled. "Too bad you didn't ask me that this morning. Shepard and I met with him earlier this afternoon."

That caught Aricia's interest. "Oh? What about?"

"He has been meeting up with other diplomats from all different species. They've been in talks about possible creating new embassies for some of the home worlds and colonies. Everyone's more spread out than ever after the war ended."

"I heard something like that," said Gallus.

That was when Drenya spoke up. "It's… interesting how the galaxy has turned out since the end of the war."

Solana turned to her. "How so?"

Drenya took a moment to take a sip of her wine before proceeding. "All my life, I've been convinced that other species always looked out only for themselves. Before the war, we relied on ourselves to make improvements for our own, never really considering anyone else. But…"

She then turned her head to look at Shepard. "You proved that all species are much stronger when we all work together and not just for ourselves. I… heard about the species that united during the war. As a matter of fact, the krogan had helped me, Caius, and our children evacuate onto a shuttle so that we could survive."

Putting her wine glass down, Drenya's fingers fidgeted a little. "I admit… I had… reservations on humans after my father died in the Relay 314 incident, and… I guess my mother's prejudice didn't help either. Shepard… you showed me through your actions that individuals should not be defined by their species. If… you hadn't rallied the galaxy to stand together, especially the krogan…"

Shepard heard Drenya's voice waver for a moment, but the turian quickly cleared her throat before continuing. "If you hadn't rallied the galaxy to stand together, especially the krogan, who knows what would've happened to us."

Drenya managed to give her a turian smile. "You've probably heard this so many times, but… thank you."

Shepard nodded in reply, unsure of what to say. Honestly, she had not expected Drenya to speak up like that. As a matter of fact, she didn't think Drenya would really acknowledge her all that much throughout the evening. She guessed that Drenya was conflicted for a while and eventually came to this conclusion in her own mind.

Drenya then sighed as she clutched on to her wine glass. "I… just wish Cyllis and his family were here with us."

Shepard noticed Aricia bowing her head, her mandibles flaring into a sad frown. Next to her, her husband reached over and grasped for her hand tightly. Shepard frowned at the sight. Arek had told her minutes ago that the family was still mourning, but to actually see it

"He was… what you would call a model turian," Caius pointed out as he looked over at Shepard. "Duty always came first in every aspect of his life. Had he had the chance to even fight in this war, he would have done so proudly."

Shepard nodded as an idea came to her. "There's a small dinner tradition we humans have to honor those no longer with us." She then took her own wine glass and lifted it up. "We call it a toast. We all raise our cups like this and simply say something like, 'To Cyllis and his family.'"

Most at the table seemed to consider this for a moment. Gallus was the first to make a move and he took his own glass in hand before raise it. "It's simple, but… I think this is a nice way to honor them tonight."

Everyone, even the two children, raised their glasses. "To Cyllis, Delphia, and Cassius," Gallus said quietly. "May they rest well with the spirits."

Shepard drank from her glass and everyone followed suit before quietly placing them down on the table. Shepard then decides to lighten the mood a little. "It wasn't just me who helped unite the galaxy. Everyone contributed in their own way. I couldn't have done it without them."

"I imagine Garrus was a big help," Arek said with a grin.

"Yes he was," Shepard replied as she stared at him.

Garrus had a feeling he knew where this conversation was going, so he immediately turned to Solana's mate. "So Xarius, tell the rest of the family how you met my sister."

Shepard almost laughed at the look Xarius gave him. She could almost read his face; '_Thanks for putting me in the spotlight._' She noticed everyone turning to Xarius, though she heard Arek somewhat chuckle before he did the same. He knew Garrus was turning the attention away from Shepard, but apparently, he decided to comply for now… she was sure that Arek was going to bring them up again later.

Clearing his throat, Xarius leaned back into his seat. "Well… it all started when my ship was deployed to Palaven…"

* * *

**A/N: If anyone had wanted to read family drama, don't worry. That'll come in a future chapter. However, there will be one more chapter about this particular Palaven stay.**


	15. Phaedria

**Chapter Fifteen – Phaedria**

_A time long ago…_

_A young turian boy admired the seashells along the shore of a small cove. The sun was high up in the sky and it was hot as always, but the sea just in front of him made his surroundings much cooler. At one point, he spotted a blue, circle-shaped shell that seemed to swirl within itself. It also had a purple gleam to it that was more noticeable underneath the sun's rays._

"_Don't get too close to the water!" a woman's voice called out as a small wave lapped at the boy's feet._

_The boy knew to listen to his mother, plus he didn't want to get into trouble today. Picking up the shell he just found, he began to run towards where his mother sat, wanting to show her what he just found._

"_What do you have there?" she asked with genuine interest once he reached her._

_The boy opened the palm of his hand, showing her the shell. Her mandibles flared into a smile. "That is beautiful," she said._

_She then gathered her son into his arms and pulled him into a hug. The boy dropped the shell, almost forgetting about it as he threw his arms around his mother's neck._

_Her voice whispered into his ear. "Don't be sad, my son. It will be all right."_

* * *

Garrus woke up with a start as the images of his dream began to fade from his mind. He took a moment to blink a few times so that his eyes could adjust to the darkness of the bedroom that was once his as a child. He then took a deep breath before rubbing a hand over his face.

Through the curtains, the light from Palaven's two moons shone through, so it was easy for Garrus to see Shepard sleeping soundly on his left side. Her face was relaxed, and he guessed that she hadn't had any nightmares at this point. Then again, they've been on Palaven for a week now, and the trip had proven to be a good one. Aside with meeting the Vakarian side of his family and with Victus, Garrus had taken her around to show her the places he used to haunt when he was younger. They also did some shopping, which gave Garrus the opportunity to stock up on new civilian clothes and non-perishable dextro supplies. He was not looking forward to lugging the supplies back to Earth, but at least he wouldn't have to pay for shipping.

Garrus had wanted the trip to be a happy one more for Shepard's sake since this was her first trip outside of Earth since the end of the war. Sure, there were a few glares from strangers on the streets when they went out, but stares never bothered Shepard… as a matter of fact, she was downright used to it for years now, but luckily, that was the worst of it.

Only now did Garrus realize that trying to make this trip a happy one meant that he was trying not to think about the fact that his mother was no longer here. He and the rest of the family had mentioned her in passing, and there was no ignoring the small shrine in the family room. Garrus was a bit surprised that Shepard hadn't brought her up during the trip, but he realized that perhaps she didn't want to push it.

After the dream tonight, his mother remained at the forefront of his mind.

Knowing that he wasn't going to fall asleep right away, Garrus slowly got out of bed, trying to be as quiet as possible so that he didn't wake up Shepard. He then took a moment to put on a comfortable shirt before stepping out of the bedroom and went down the hall. When he entered the family room, Garrus reached for a button on the wall, pressing it gently enough to slowly begin turning the lights on. The lights were on just enough for Garrus to see, but not enough for the brightness to be harsh to his sleepy eyes.

There, on a small table amongst trinkets and unlit candles was the picture containing the contented face of Phaedria Vakarian.

Garrus went to the shrine and found himself admiring the trinkets on the table. They were simple little statues… some were miniature replicas of famous works from years past and some were just simple jewels that she used to love to wear. Garrus also realized that there were some trinkets that he remembered from childhood that were not part of the shrine… he didn't want to think about what became of those treasures after the war.

He thought about lighting the candles, but then he decided against it. He had noticed during his stay here that his father or Solana would light the candles first thing in the morning, and then put them out before they went to bed. The only other time the candles would not be lit was when no one was in the house.

As Garrus continued to look at the shrine, a memory from what seemed like a lifetime ago came to him…

_Garrus entered the hospital room and immediately saw his mother on the bed. She had a cast on her right arm along with one on her left leg and a large bandage on her head that covered her right eye. Phaedria was awake and had turned to her son upon hearing his footsteps. Relief washed over him._

"_Mom!" he called out as he ran to her bed side. Upon reaching her, he threw his arms around her and she returned it gently by placing her good hand on the back of his carapace._

"_What happened?" he asked with worry in his subharmonics_

_Phaedria took a deep breath. "It was a hit and run, they said. I don't remember. Don't worry about me – I'll be fine."_

_She realized something suddenly as she noticed the backpack strapped to her son's back. As he pulled back, she tenderly placed a hand on one side of his face. "What are you doing here? Your study abroad shuttle should've left _hours_ ago."_

_Garrus' mandibles twitched at that. "I… I didn't go. I heard you were here and I left port."_

_He shook his head as he looked down at the ground. "It doesn't matter. It was just a dumb trip anyway, I… I can take care of you now. We both know Dad won't leave work to be here."_

_Phaedria pulled her hand away as she gave him a stern look. "Now, that's not fair. He called here the moment he heard, and he's worried sick. In the time it would take for him to travel all the way back here from the Citadel, these old bones would be healed. I told him to stay put."_

_Her stern look relaxed and her mandibles twitched into a frown. "But Garrus… your scholarship was for this summer only. If you don't go, you lose it. You won't qualify again. This was your _dream_. I won't let you waste it. You get back there and-"_

_Garrus had turned around to face the hospital room window as she spoke, not wanting his mother to see the sad look that now etched on his face. He ended up interrupting her. "It's too late, they're gone… and if I left you here, like this, I wouldn't deserve it. I wouldn't forgive myself…"_

_He then sighed as though resigned to his fate. "Dad was right. He always said he'd support me in whatever I wanted to do… but he meant as long as it's what he wanted me to do. It's time I faced facts. I'm an officer's son… that's all I'll ever be..."_

_He never saw his mother's heartbroken gaze…_

"Garrus?" a voice said from behind him, almost startling him.

For a split moment, he thought the voice belonged to his mother… He turned around and was met with the face of his sister. She was dressed in her sleepwear, which was mostly covered by the blue turian robe wrapped around her small frame.

"Hey," he croaked. "What are you doing up?"

Solana managed to smile. "Xarius is a sweet man, but his snorting can keep me up sometimes."

Garrus lightly chuckled. "Yeah… Shepard has a habit of tossing and turning quite a bit even before she was injured."

Solana nodded as she moved to stand next to him. "Yeah."

The siblings fell silent for a little bit afterwards, both finding themselves looking down at the shrine.

"Dad still grieves for her, you know," Solana pointed out. Garrus stared at his sister. He wasn't sure what to say at this point, but he let her continue. "He tires every day to keep himself occupied with his work… but some nights, when I get up for a light snack, I catch him just… standing here. Sometimes, he'll pray, sometimes, he'll just talk to her, and sometimes… he just stands here, most likely thinking about old memories."

Hearing this added a sad, heavy weight into Garrus' heart. A few years ago, he would've never imagined his father showing any kind of grief… he almost never showed his emotions to his children, his demeanor usually stoic. Now, after everything that's happened for the past couple of years, Garrus found himself picturing his father standing in this very spot thinking of days long past…

In the back of his mind, Garrus wondered if this was what _he_ would be doing had Shepard not survived the war…

Solana began to adjust a few of the trinkets to make the display look nicer. "I think… he never really had the chance to grieve until we got back to Palaven after the war. Sometimes, I feel… guilty."

Hearing her admit that made Garrus turn his head to her. "Why?"

"Xarius," Solana said. "Dad was more than happy to let him live here when we came back, but sometimes, I can't help but wonder what he's thinking every time he sees us together. _But_… he's always trying to assure me that he's happy for me and…" She turned to look up at her brother. "He's happy for you and Shepard, too. I think… I think a part of him wishes that Mom was here to see how far we've both come."

Garrus turned his head to look at the picture on the table. "Something tells me that she does know…"

Solana nodded in agreement. "Me too…"

* * *

Later that morning, Garrus and Shepard were the only ones at the Vakarian home with Garrus' father at work and Solana and Xarius out meeting with a childhood friend of Solana's. The both of them settled for fruits for breakfast. Shepard had found a frozen bag of strawberries a few days ago and was now enjoying that, savoring the sweet, cool taste. Garrus was eating what he called _marrias_, which reminded Shepard of apples. Garrus did mention that he accidentally had apples once because he thought they were _marrias_, but he realized that he can eat apples without getting sick. The _marrias_ was more oval than a regular apple and this particular one was pink.

For the heck of it, Shepard tried a bit of the _marrias_ while Garrus tried the frozen strawberry. She actually liked how much sweeter it was compared to apples. She then laughed as Garrus slightly gagged after he bit into the strawberry… apparently he wasn't agreeing with the taste of it.

"Fresh strawberries as much better, I promise," Shepard

Garrus coughed a little. "That doesn't comfort me right now."

"Well either way, some of us humans usually have strawberry festivals in the summer. Maybe if you end up liking fresh strawberries, we can go to one maybe next year."

Garrus tilted his head at her. "You humans have festivals over food?"

Shepard chuckled. "Yeah, there are a lot of humans that are enthusiastic about food. Strawberries are the most well-known. We also have wine tasting."

Garrus chuckled. "If there were any dual-chirality or dextro wine, that's something I would attend."

Shepared laughed. "Of course you would. Oh! And we also have pumpkin picking. Is this big orange vegetable that's grown every fall season. You go to this patch and pick out a pumpkin you like. You use the insides to make pie, but you can decorate the outside anyway you like. Most put faces on them."

"What's the point of that?"

"It's for a human holiday called Halloween. Generally, it's around the time when it was believed that the void between the living and the dead is thin, thus the spirits are able to cross into the living void for a short period of time. It ended up being a time when everyone celebrates everything that's considered scary and most dress up in different costumes and have parties. Kids dress up and go around a neighborhood to get as much candy as possible."

Garrus shook his head. "You humans celebrate the strangest things."

Shepard laughed. "That we do."

By then, they finished their respective breakfast. "So," Shepard proceeded. "I'm pretty sure that neither one of us is going to get stomach cramps from sharing each other's breakfast this morning. Is there any place you want to go to today or do you want to just stay in?"

The moment Shepard finished that last sentence, Garrus knew exactly what he wanted to do today. "Yeah… if you don't mind, there are a couple of places I want to visit…"

* * *

The field was one of the few places in and around Cipritine that was untouched by the Reapers… but perhaps the sentient beings didn't care for those that were long deceased…

Garrus hadn't told Shepard where they were going until they pulled out of the driveway in the skycar they were renting. Shepard admitted that she had expected to being going here during their trip, but she didn't think it would happen until at least the last couple of days of their stay here.

The cemetery wasn't all that different from a human one. It was filled with tall stones all etched in turian writing. There were also a few family mausoleums scattered around, many requiring keys to get inside.

Garrus had his own key to get into the Vakarian mausoleum. It was more towards the middle of the cemetery, and by the looks of it, Shepard had to guess that it was quite a while since it was made.

"My great-grandfather had this built long before I was born," Garrus explained as he began to unlock the door. He then took Shepard's hand and helped her up the three steps into the single room, remembering how slippery the waxed floor can be.

The floor and walls were all in what reminded Shepard of marble in a white color. A large, Vakarian blue stained glass window was placed opposite of the door, letting some light from the sun in. Garrus took a moment to light some candles on the table below the window so that it was even lighter inside.

Looking around, Shepard noticed the vaults that, of course, would hold the remains. Only a handful of those vaults had gold inscriptions, indicating to Shepard that someone occupied them.

Garrus soon rejoined her by her side and pointed at two vaults that were at eye level. "These are my paternal grandparents, Cassius and Evia. Grandfather died long before I was born and… Evia died when I was young." He then pointed to the vaults above his grandparents; the ones belong to his grandfather's parents, Garrus' great-grandparents.

There were a few that belonged to some of his great aunts and uncles. He then pointed to one that had three names… his cousin Cyllis, his wife Delphia, and their young son, also named Cassius. Although their bodies were never found after the war, the family had placed mementos and a few personal belongings in the vault as a way to put the family to rest.

Finally, Garrus fell quiet as he looked at the vault on the opposite side, the one occupied by his mother. Quietly, he took one of the lit candles and brought it closer to that side of the room.

"The candles are supposed to show that someone visited," Garrus replied. "We usually only leave mementos when we know they'll be buried with them or left in the vault."

Shepard nodded. "Some cultures do the same thing. At least one country I know of light incense when they visit a grave and another leaves small pebbles as a sign that someone visited. Some believe that leaving coins helps the spirits get passage to the afterlife."

Garrus took a deep breath as he wrapped an arm around Shepard, who returned the gesture. They stood like this for a while, neither of them saying anything as they both found themselves lost in their thoughts.

"What are you thinking?" Shepard finally asked him after a few minutes.

Garrus cleared his throat. "Do you remember how I told you how I almost became a spectre?"

Shepard looked up at him. "Yeah, I remember."

His hold on Shepard tightened a little. "Well, I actually received a scholarship when I was qualified for training amongst the other candidates. The higher-ups at my boot camp were the ones who got me the scholarship. They saw my potential and pulled a lot of strings to make sure I made it for their summer program, but… I had to drop out."

Shepard frowned. "Why did you drop out?"

Garrus sighed. "That day, Mom had dropped me off at the shuttle port. On her way home, she… she had been in a hit-and-run accident. She was fine, but she had broken a few bones and hit her head. She didn't remember much. I ended up hearing about it on the vids at the shuttle port. I knew it was her because I recognized her car in the vid they showed. And… without even thinking about it, I ran and took a taxi to the hospital they mentioned on the news.

"I remember just… thinking how whoever hit her would just… leave her like that, hurt and needing help. They never caught the person who hit her car. I don't know why, but that day, it made me realize that I was better off following my father's footsteps rather than follow my dream to be a spectre."

Garrus took a deep breath. "Besides… Dad wasn't home a lot at that point, and I would've never forgiven myself if I had left her in that state."

He felt Shepard's hand on his face. "I know that you felt that you had a duty, but… you should've gone on that shuttle. I know from past conversations that it was something you've wanted to do."

"I… I know… but by the time I even got to the hospital, the shuttle had already left... it was too late. Mom stood by my decision, but… I knew that she was disappointed that I never went."

Shepard leaned her head into his shoulder. "Would you want to try reapplying again?"

Garrus leaned his own head on top of Shepard's head. "I've seen what being a spectre has done to you. I don't think I could handle it like I thought I would these days."

Shepard gave him a knowing look. "I won't stop you if you want to go for it again."

Garrus shook his head. "I've already reapplied once and look what happened. I know it's been a while, but I'm still not over the fact that the council denying your claims. I don't think I'd be able to stand it knowing that fact. My faith in them shattered that day…"

He turned his head to look at the vault they stood in front of. "Mom always encouraged me to follow that dream, but… well… after everything that's happened, I… I think it's for the best."

As he said that, Shepard could hear the small waver in his voice, his blue eyes gazing at the vault in front of them. It was clear to her that Garrus was still mourning his mother, knowing that he hadn't had the chance to truly do so before the Reapers rolled in.

"One of my favorite things to do with her was go to this cove not far from here," Garrus continue, his voice more steady. "She would take me there every summer on the nicest days. She would just sit there and soak up the sun while I ran around exploring. Sometimes I picked up a few shells and showed them to her. Sometimes, I'll just run just at the edge of the water and let my feet get wet. She always warned me to never go too far, and I never did. Sometimes, we'll be there all day until I was hungry enough for dinner. We usually went straight home, but if Solana was with us and Dad wasn't home, we'd go to this little restaurant nearby and eat these little shellfish like you would eat popcorn…. And if we were really good, she would let us have a cold dessert."

Shepard tightened her own hold on him. "She sounded like a wonderful mother."

Garrus gazed down at the floor. "Yeah… the one good thing about her dying was that she never had to witness the war…" He then turned to look at his love. "I wish you could've met her. She would've really liked you."

Shepard managed to smile. "I think I would've liked her too."

* * *

After leaving the cemetery, Shepard and Garrus picked up lunch to go before setting out. It was another part of Garrus' plan for the day… taking Shepard to the secret beach cove his mother used to take him to as a child. The sands were almost a white color and the water was a perfect blue. It was the kind of beach Shepard remembered seeing from resort photos.

There were quite a few trees around the cove, so they picked a spot that had the most shade. Before eating her lunch, Shepard took a moment to put on an extra layer of the radiation block after they both put on their respective swimsuits. Despite that, she was pretty sure that she was going to get some sunburn once they leave.

"We'll head back to the house after this," Garrus suggested. "Since I doubt Dad, Solana, and Xarius will be home by the time we return, maybe we can order in."

"I wouldn't mind," Shepard replied. "Just don't order any levo fish. They definitely will not be fresh unless they have a market like the one back on Earth where they're still alive."

"What if I got you those frozen ones, what are they called… stick fish?"

"Close, fish sticks," Shepard corrected. "And they were pretty gross the last time I had them."

"All right, all right," Garrus said.

Shepard then gazed at their surroundings. "So… how did your mom find this place?"

"Actually, it was my maternal grandmother who found this place a long time ago. She used to take my mom and her brother and sister here. I don't think a lot of people know about this place because of the trees and it was a bit out of the way. She would try to come back as much as possible whenever they were in the area."

Shepard happened to turn her head and noticed the wild plants growing nearby, primarily a purple flower with a bright green stem. "These are nice," she said.

Garrus happened to reach out for one and picked it from the ground. "Remember those laelia flowers I mentioned? These are them. It was another reason why my mother loved this place… these were her favorite. She, uh, didn't have the time to grow her own ones at home, but she would always pick a handful every time we came here. She would put them in a vase and care of them until they wilted. One time, she took a bunch of them and made this little crown for Solana. She wore it almost every day for about a week."

As he talked, Garrus carefully placed the stem of the flower into Shepard's hair, remembering how he saw this in a human vid once. He knew that Shepard wasn't exactly a girly girl, but she seemed to love the gesture as her eyes brightened and her lips curled into a small smile.

He saw her love her him in those bright eyes and it tugged at his heartstrings. At the same time, it made his heart ache knowing that his mother will never be able to meeting this amazing woman he fell in love with. His Mom had always hoped that he could at least meet a nice woman and simply be happy. That was one hope of hers that he managed to get right…

Thinking of his mother, Garrus' felt his throat close up. His brow plates furrowing, he closed his eyes tightly as he tilted his head down. "I miss her, Shepard…" he managed to say.

He felt a pair of hands gently touching either side of his head. "I know, love. I know… but don't ever forget, she'll always be with you in spirit."

Taking a deep breath, Garrus managed to open his eyes to look at her, the tightness in his throat leaving him. "I know."

For a long time, the two of them sat in contented silence, mainly admiring the scenery. At one point, they both lied back and simply held each other, enjoying one another's presence.

Eventually, Garrus realized that Shepard had fallen asleep judging by the light snoring. Garrus personally found it amusing, but also a bit endearing. Either way, she had moved quite a bit today more than usual these past few days. She deserved to rest… she'll always deserve to rest.

Brushing a strand a hair away from her face, Garrus took a moment to leave a gentle kiss on the side of her head before slowly getting himself up onto his feet. Briefly, he looked around to make sure that the shade from the tree still covered her properly. He then decided to get closer to the water and began walking towards it.

As he reached the waves, something caught Garrus' eyes and he looked down. There amongst the sand was an oval-shaped blue seashell, the one that swirled into itself and had a purple gleam underneath the sun. He remembered how much he loved picking up those shells as a child because this particular one was his favorite, especially with the colors and the swirls. Reaching down, he grasped the shell into the palm of his hand before straightening himself up. He gazed at it a little longer before placing the shell in the pocket of his shorts. He planned to collect more and take them back to Earth with him.

Garrus then turned his attention to the sea, feeling the cool waves lapping over his feet just as it had when he was little. Now an adult, he could understand his mother's concerns about going into the water… turians weren't exactly the most buoyant species in the galaxy with their carapaces, and with how small turian children were when they were young, it would have been very easy for them to be swept away by the sea.

Naturally, Garrus was always curious about going into the water, but he always listened when his mother told him not to go in. Today, he decided to give in to his curiosity and stepped further into the water.

He almost laughed when he suddenly imagined his mother's disappointing glare over him disobeying her. It actually made him stop walking, the water now just ending below his knees.

Folding his arms in front of his chest, Garrus gazed out at the sea in front of him, the water cooling his legs. His mind drifted to those younger days again, him exploring the cove looking for little treasures. He wasn't able to take everything back of course, like the little shelled sea creature with ten legs he saw crawling around and he had wanted to take it home as a pet. Of course, his mom explained how he couldn't because the creature lived here and might have a family nearby who would miss them if they went away. Of course, that was enough to convince him to let the creature go.

Sadness etched onto his face as he thought of those memories. He could only imagine the regret he would face had he not been there when she died. It was already enough that he regretted not being there enough even when he was helping to save the galaxy… and perhaps, he regretted making her feel disappointed when he decided not to pursue his dream to become a spectre.

Garrus suddenly heard her voice in his mind. "Don't be sad, my son. It will be all right."

He sighed at this. They were words that he was pretty damn sure that he'll never forget for as long as he lived. In one of her last awareness just days before Corpalis Syndrome took his mother's life, Phaedria uttered these words to Garrus… they ended up being the last thing she said to him.

At the time, Garrus knew that her death was near. At the same time, he was missing Shepard terribly after she was incarcerated on Earth, waiting for her trail after what happened in Batarian space. He imagined that Phaedria had seen the sadness in his eyes… she was always good at seeing those kinds of things.

Thinking of those words, Garrus now believed once more that 'it will be all right.' After everything that's happened these past few years, and even though there were still going to be rough patches along the way, Garrus could truly believe his mother's final words to him.


	16. Community

**A/N: Incase it's been forgotten, this chapter pretty much follows up from the mention of the town Shepard and Garrus live in from the beginning of Chapter Five, specifically the housing committee.**

**This chapter will contain spoilers for the Citadel DLC (I know it was released a while ago, but, well, just in case…). The last part of this chapter also contains fluff.**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen – Community**

Two days after coming home from Palaven, Garrus and Shepard's next door neighbors, Meela and Trey'Ganba, came over for a visit. They had watched over their house, as well as their pets, while they were gone for two weeks. Garrus and Shepard invited them inside, thinking at first that they were going to update them on how their house sitting went.

They barely sat down on the couches when Trey let out a cough, which was quickly followed by a sneeze. Shepard frowned. "Are you all right?" she asked.

There was a small sniffle coming from the quarian before he answered. "I'll be fine. The one good thing about being in a suit is that I won't get anyone else sick. I've been trying to slowly adapt to the Earth's environment, though it'll definitely be a long process. Right now, I'm just trying to walk around my own home without a suit on."

Meela reached for his hand and grasped it gently. "I've suggested going to Rannoch for a while so that he can better adapt without his suit."

"But then I would have to start the process over again," Trey explained. "The first time I did this, I was bedridden for a week. The second process was better, though I was practically blinded by all the tears in my eyes. This is the third process and the cold I have now is better compared to the last couple of times I got sick."

"I imagine," said Garrus. "Or else you wouldn't be over our house."

"I told him to stay home," mentioned Meela. "But he insisted on coming here."

"I wish I can offer you something hot to drink," said Shepard. "But we don't have the necessary equipment to sterilize it."

Trey waved a hand. "It's not necessary, but I appreciate the thought."

"What brings you two over here today?" asked Garrus.

The asari and the quarian briefly gazed at each other before Meela chose to speak first. "Well… we wanted to talk to you as soon as you came home, but we figured that we'd give you a couple of days to settle back in."

Shepard smiled. "We appreciate it. It definitely was a long trip."

Meela nodded. "Well… things at the nearby refugee camps have become… hostile as of lately. People have been fighting for shelter, crumbs of food, just… simple basic needs. As you both know, everyone is doing everything we can to help them, but there are just so many…

"Anyway… just a few days ago, two humans at the refugee camp near New York City got into a fight over water supplies. One of the humans ended up killing the other and caused a lot of chaos on that camp. Some were arrested in the brawl."

Trey continued for her. "Because of what happened, this town has officially decided to finally move forward with that housing project everyone was debating over."

"About time," said Garrus. "I never understood why there had to be a debate to begin with. It should've been done a long time ago."

Meela sighed. "And that's why I hate politics." Trey simply nodded in agreement.

Shepard had to shake her head. "It hate that people have to die to convince others that certain things need to move forward." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Is the levo market owner still planning all of this?"

Meela nodded. "Yes, Alan Holden is still planning all of this. As a matter of fact, one of the reasons we came to you is to let you know that there's going to be a meeting tomorrow at the town hall around two in the afternoon."

After that sentence, Shepard noticed the tension in Meela's shoulders and she knew that the asari had more to say. "Anything else?" she pressed.

Trey twisted his fingers a little. "Well… there's this rumor that, um… Alan might want to make you project leader."

Shepard furrowed her eyebrows. "Me?"

"I think it's mainly to oversee the building operations," Meela guessed. "Planning the houses, ordering building supplies, basically making sure everything runs smoothly."

Garrus chuckled a little. "That doesn't sound all that different from being a commander of a war ship."

"Ha!" Shepard laughed. "Unless people start running around cutting everyone down with chainsaws, this will be nothing like running a war ship… but remind me to carry my Avenger just in case."

"Well hopefully that doesn't happen," said Trey.

"You said the meeting is at two o'clock tomorrow?" asked Garrus.

Meela nodded. "The whole town is welcomed of course. Alan will be leading the meeting."

Shepard nodded. "And then I guess we'll see if that rumor about me is true."

Later, Meela and Trey said their goodbyes and went back home. That night after dinner and watching a comedy program, Shepard and Garrus simply lounged on the couch. Garrus had seated himself while Shepard laid on her back, her legs propped up on Garrus's lap. She found herself admiring one of the seashells Garrus had taken home with him from Palaven, the blue one that swirled within and gleamed purple in the sun.

Shepard frowned a little. "Mordin would've liked these…"

Garrus sighed as he gently massaged one of Shepard's bare feet. "Yeah…"

Shepard chuckled a little. "I remember telling him that he'd go crazy inside an hour when he told me that he wanted to collect seashells after the war was over. He responded with, 'might run tests on the seashells.'"

Garrus chuckled as well. "Sounds like him. Well… wherever he is, I'm sure he's doing just that as we speak."

Shepard sighed. "Yeah."

Garrus decided to change the subject before it got depressing. "So… if the rumor about Alan making you the housing committee leader is true… what do you think?"

Shepard gazed up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Well… you might be right about it not being all that different from being a commander. Except, you know, there's the lack of dodging bullets at every turn." She shrugged. "But who knows… they may pick someone else who knows this kind of thing better than I do. After all, I'm just a soldier."

"I know that, and you know that," Garrus replied. "But everyone outside that front door of our house sees you as a brave, capable leader. I know you hate politics, but you do have a way of getting people to listen… most of the time."

"Ha!" Shepard laughed. "You can say that again."

Garrus chuckled before continuing. "But seriously… you're a paragon, Shepard, and people like a good, paragon leader."

Shepard seemed to snort at that. "I wasn't always a paragon, you know."

"How so?"

Shepard grinned as she called a few memories in her head. One in particular made her grin fade quickly. "Well… I admit, it did cross my mind _briefly_ to sacrifice the council."

"I thought as much back then," Garrus admitted. "You seemed conflicted when it came down to making that decision."

Shepard looked at him seriously as she slowly sat up on the couch and scooted closer to her turian. "I know… on one hand, sacrificing the council would have saved more lives. On the other hand, you were actually right… the fight was bigger than humanity. I realized in that moment what was _needed_… a unity of all species. Sacrificing the council would have been better in the short run, but it would have been bad in the long run going by all the praise I received. I admit, my thoughts echoed Tali's when she said, 'I hope you know what you're doing.'"

Garrus hummed a little as he wrapped an arm around her and began stroking her hair. "You mentioned something about a unity of species." His mandibles suddenly flared in his own grin. "We're not doing too bad ourselves."

That earned a laugh from Shepard and he was glad to see her smiling again. "Not at all."

Garrus then leaned into her head and whispered low into her ear. "So, remind me what other non-paragon things you've done."

He chuckled as he felt Shepard shiver against him. "Damn you and that voice."

Garrus briefly nuzzled her temple before pulling back. "You know you like it."

He noticed the red flush in Shepard's cheek, but clearly she tried to brush it off. "Well… breaking Kai Leng's sword felt damn good."

"I probably would've felt the same way," Garrus said.

"And headbutting Gatatog Uvek was fun."

"I'm still surprised you didn't get a concussion from that."

"And then the one that surprised even me… killing Brooks when she tried to get away."

Garrus nodded. "Yeah, Wrex was getting ready to shoot her too if I remember."

Shepard nodded. "I saw that from the corner of my eye. I would've let him take the shot too." She tilted her head as she smirked. "But I bet he probably would've told me I was getting too slow or something." She leaned back onto the couch. "That was a long day anyway."

"Tell me about it," Garrus agreed.

A yawn escaped Shepard. Garrus tilted his head in amusement. "Tired?"

Shepard nodded. "A little. I wouldn't mind getting ready for bed."

"I was thinking the same thing."

From there, the couple got up from the couch and got themselves ready to hit the hay for the night.

* * *

The next day, Shepard and Garrus left their house for Main St. There, they picked up lunch from their respective markets and ate at the small park just on the edge of the street. When they were done, they went straight to the town hall for the meeting.

Once inside, it was no surprise that they couple got a few stares only because everyone knew who they were. They eventually spotted Meela and Trey and decided to sit with them.

"How are you feeling Trey?" was the first thing Shepard asked.

"I'm still sniffing, but I'm better than I was yesterday," Trey replied.

It wasn't long before the meeting was called to begin. A middle-aged bearded man took the podium and Shepard quickly realized that it was the town leader, Alan Holden. The town didn't have a proper mayor, but from what Shepard had heard, Alan's family had a long history here, his ancestors settling here around the time of the American Revolutionary War. He knew the needs of the town more than anyone, and many who lived here respected him. It was he who had pushed for the housing project for refugees.

Shepard remembered some time ago that Garrus had spoken to Alan about possibly finding her something to do with helping with the aftermath of the war, something that didn't require physical work considering her injuries. She suddenly realized if the rumor of him making her a project leader was true.

"Welcome, friends," Alan announced. "As many of you have heard by now, we finally have approval to build homes for those still at the refugee camps."

That earned quite a handful of cheers and claps from the audience. Clearly, they were thrilled. When they quieted down, Alan proceeded. "Let me say right away that the homes will be built out on the field north from here. None of the building process will affect any of the trees that are currently standing. All building materials will come directly from donated sources, though we may need to buy our own materials in the future.

"For now, our budget will allow us to build fifty homes, but if allowed, I'd like to push for seventy-five. Not everyone at the refugee camps will finally have roofs over their heads, but for those who will be lucky enough to be selected from the camps, I am confident that we will help make a big difference in their lives.

"Does anyone have any questions before we move on?"

One human raised their hand and Alan pointed to them. The human male stood up. "How will the refugees at the camps be chosen for these homes?"

"We'd like to focus on families with children and for those who need frequent medical care," Alan explained. "More than likely, we will be focusing on the camps in Manhattan, Syracuse, and Toronto."

No more questions were asked, so Alan moved on from there. "One of the things I'd like for all of us to do is to create a fundraiser so that we may buy more materials not provided for the project. I also encourage everyone here bring in any blue print ideas for the kinds of homes we can build, especially for those who are not human."

That was when Garrus spoke up. "I have a cousin on Palaven who is an architect. If it's all right, I'd like to contact him and see if he has any ideas about building a few low cost homes for turians."

"Thank you, Garrus," Alan said. "That reminds me, I'd like to personally appoint a project leader… Shepard, I'd like for you to be the housing project leader. Your duty will be overseeing the building process, making sure that we have enough supplies, choosing volunteers based on their talents, and of course, seeing that everything runs smoothly. Will you be all right with that?"

Shepard had to smile as the rumor was confirmed. "Well… I'll accept the offer if everyone in the room is all right with that."

That earned claps and cheers from everyone in the room. Clearly, they were confident that she could get the job done. Garrus leaned towards her. "Well, there's your answer."

* * *

Later that evening, Garrus had an idea for tonight, but of course, it involved a little planning. "Do me a favor, Shepard," he said. "Watch a very long movie for a few hours."

That earned a raised eyebrow from Shepard. "Why?"

"Do I have to explain?"

"Yes."

Garrus sighed. "It's a surprise and that's all I'm saying."

Shepard chuckled. "All right, big guy. I'm not sure what you're planning, but I'll play this game for now."

"Good," Garrus said. "Now… unless there's an emergency, you're not allowed to come out or look out the windows until I say so."

"Did I ever tell you that I hate surprises?"

"Yes, but you know it's going to happen anyway with me."

Shepard sighed. "All right, all right. Well, whatever you're planning, have fun."

Garrus chuckled. "You know I will. Now just sit, relax, and watch a movie."

He took a moment to shut all the curtains and blinds, darkening the cabin before he headed outside. Shepard relaxed on the couch and it didn't take long for their cat Felix to jump up and lay next to her. Shepard turned to the black cat, who gazed up at her with his golden eyes.

"So Felix, do you think this will be a good or a bad surprise?" she asked him. Felix only replied by yawning before curling himself into a ball. Shepard reached down to scratch the back of his ears, and the cat replied with a soft purr.

Later, after browsing through the vid player, Shepard found an eight-hour movie she was sure that she wasn't going to finish tonight. At least it was a decent time killer. The movie had a mixed of different species including a few elcors (hence the length of the film).

An hour into the movie, Shepard suddenly smelled something that was cooking on the barbeque grill outside. She softly smiled as she realized that Garrus was making them dinner. If that's the case, then why was this all a surprise? Guess she'll know soon enough.

An hour later, Garrus walked into the cabin. "All right, it's finally done," he announced as he took Shepard's hand and helped her to her feet. "Now, close your eyes."

Shepard turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes, really," he said. "Don't worry; I'll help you walk outside. Trust me."

"You know I trust you," Shepard said as she closed her eyes.

From there, Garrus took both of her hands and carefully led her to the backyard. She eventually felt the soft wind on her face and the smell of a grilled meal on the patio table Garrus purchased a few weeks ago. There was also another smell, but Shepard couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was just yet.

Garrus moved behind her after they stopped walking. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Shepard did just that, and she was suddenly taken aback by what was in front of her. The outdoor table and chairs were set up closer to the lake and the table was covered with a white cloth. Their dinner plates were set up nicely and each plate had a cover on it to protect it from the surrounding environment. What really took her breath away were the few scented candles that were lit on the table along with a few foot tall stake lights surrounding the table and emitting a soft, warm glow.

"I would've placed up a string of lights if we actually had a gazebo," Garrus mused. "That should be my next project in time for-"

Shepard had turned to him and made him stop talking by placing her hand over his mouth. "I love it," she said with a warm smile.

His mandibles flared in a soft smile and his pressed his mouth plates into her hand in his own kiss. "You hungry?" he asked.

"Yeah. Let's eat."

They sat at the patio and Shepard removed the cover on her plate to reveal her dinner. She realized that Garrus must've done a little research prior to the dinner because it looked perfect. The plate contained a pair of t-bone steaks with grilled red potatoes and asparagus. She looked over at Garrus's plate, which of course contained his own dextro dinner.

"Looks delicious," Shepard said.

They ate quietly for a few minutes, the both of them enjoying their respective meals. Garrus then happened to look at their surroundings. "You know what would be nice? Some flowers."

Shepard chuckles. "I'm sure it would look nice with flowers. Too bad neither one of us have green thumbs."

That, of course, confused Garrus. "Green thumbs?"

"Another human expression, meaning one who has a talent for gardening. I mean, I admit, gardening has crossed my mind a few times, but I don't know… can you really imagine me trying to keep those flowers alive?"

Garrus chuckled. "Ah that's true… poor fishes."

Shepard narrowed her eyes at him. "Hey, Felix and the hamster are still alive, aren't they?"

"…For now."

Shepard grinned in amusement. "You ass."

Garrus laughed in reply.

Soon, they were done with dinner and Shepard managed to stand herself up by supporting herself with the table. "You know, I have this crazy idea."

"Since when do you not have crazy ideas?" Garrus pointed out.

"Very funny. Anyway, remembering how we danced at the local bar some time ago?" Garrus nodded and Shepard proceeded. "I wouldn't mind dancing like that again right now, if you want."

Garrus stood up from his seat. "Do you want me to put on some music?"

Shepard shook her head. "We don't need music to enjoy a slow dance. We can just simply listen to the sounds of nature. It's a pretty nice perk when living in the country."

Garrus nodded. "I can do that."

He walked over to her and brought her close to him. Their arms wrapped around each other and they simply swayed back and forth in silence. In the distance, they heard crickets chirping somewhere in the bushes and a few fireflies lit up near the lake. Shepard thought she heard an owl hooting in the distances, but it might've just been her imagination.

After a few minutes, she looked up at Garrus. "I actually feel… content. Not that I wasn't before but with this whole housing project, I suddenly feel like I'm not just sitting around during the recovery effort. I finally feel like I'm helping."

She felt Garrus massage her back a little. "Just remember, you still have your own recovery."

"I know," Shepard said with a frown as she looked down at the ground.

Garrus decided to stop her before the conversation got depressed. He caught her chin with his fingers and tilted her head up so that she was looking at him. "Sorry… maybe I shouldn't have said that."

"It's true, though," Shepard pointed out.

"Listen, Shepard," Garrus continued. "This has been a nice evening. Let's forget about what's out there. Tonight, it's just you and me. Nothing else matters."

He felt his heart swell when Shepard smiled at him. "Okay. Say… that gives me another crazy idea."

"You're just so full of crazy ideas tonight," Garrus chuckled.

Shepard grinned. "I was thinking we can go back inside and… blow off steam."

Garrus eyed her. "Never going let that go, huh?"

Shepard laughed. "Never."

Deciding not to wait longer, they took a moment to blow out the lit candles. Shepard had it in mind to bring the empty plates in, but then Garrus quickly scooped her into his arms. "We'll worry about that in the morning," he declared. She was left laughing as they went inside, and, using his foot, Garrus closed the door behind him.


End file.
